St. Patrick's Day is coming soon! Here's a recipe for traditional Irish soda bread with raisins! But this bread is so easy and so good; don't limit it to a once-a-year treat!
The beautiful loaf is tender, moist, and not too sweet. It slices beautifully and has a slightly chewy crust. I slathered the first wee bite with sweet, creamy butter while the loaf was still warm. Aye, it was pure heaven!
St. Patrick's Day is a perfect excuse for revelry, fun, and great food! It's been said that we are all Irish on March 17! 😊 By the time March rolls around, most of us are winter-weary, hungry for some green and a little excitement.
Irish soda bread with raisins is a "quickbread." There is no yeast involved in the baking process. Instead, soda bread uses the reaction between baking soda, an alkali, and buttermilk and sour cream, both acidic, to create carbon dioxide bubbles that give the bread its leavening.
That means you can whip out a loaf of the incredibly delicious bread in about an hour, including cooling time! I used a food processor to make my first loaf.
You know what else is good with Irish soda bread?
Funeral Potatoes - Creamy, cheesy, and perfectly golden, these classic funeral potatoes are the ultimate comfort casserole. This easy dish is always a hit at holidays, potlucks, or family dinners.
Dried Beef Dip - A savory dip made with sour cream and real mayonnaise, featuring Beau Monde, dill, and dried beef. Serve in a hollowed-out loaf of bread for a great presentation.
Pistachio Dessert - A festive no-bake green dessert. Ritz crackers, butter, and sugar form the tasty crust. Ice cream, milk, and pistachio pudding combine in the creamy filling covered with a layer of whipped topping and sprinkled with crushed Butterfinger candy.
The first step is to combine the dry ingredients. Then, butter is thoroughly worked into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, and then it is poured into a mixing bowl.
The wet ingredients are beaten together in a separate bowl. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk, egg, and sour cream mixture. Start with a cup of the buttermilk mixture, and add more if the batter is too dry.
Once the dough is evenly moist, fold in the raisins. I always like to plump up raisins by giving them a short soak in hot water. This process keeps them more tender as they bake. Be sure to drain off the water and press out any excess moisture before stirring the raisins into the dough.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased nine-inch pie plate, round baking dish, or cast-iron skillet. Use a serrated knife to slash an equal-sided cross on the top of the loaf, dust the top with about a teaspoon of flour, then bake it for about thirty to thirty-five minutes at 350 degrees.
The crust should be golden brown, and a cake tester or skewer should come out clean when inserted in the fattest part of the loaf. If it does not, bake for five more minutes and test again. Repeat if necessary; all ovens are different! I brushed my loaf with melted butter because I love how it looks!
If you love cozy, old-fashioned comfort food, here are a few more family favorites to try:
Hamburger Pie - Here's a cozy vintage dish: hamburger pie. It uses the most basic ingredients in the kitchen, and everyone loves it. Hamburger pie is a complete meal in a pan!
One Pot American Goulash - A quick and easy main dish you make in one pan, starting with a pound of ground beef. Tasty, kid-friendly comfort food.
Easy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes - This recipe makes it easy to make scalloped potatoes and ham in a smaller batch, all in one pan to wash! It's quick and delicious.
Are you wondering about the purpose of the cross on top of the loaf? I found this brilliant explanation on the website of Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company.
Before baking, a cross is traditionally cut on the top of the Irish soda bread loaf with a knife. This is often said to ward off the devil and protect the household.
Legend and symbolism aside, the cruciform shape cuts into the top of the dough for a practical reason. Slashing the dough allows heat to penetrate the thickest part of the bread, allowing the loaf to stretch and expand as it rises.
Slashing a round loaf with a cruciform shape also divides the bread into quadrants that can be broken apart (the breaking of the bread). Ireland is a Catholic country, so the symbolism of the cross can be a blessing, as in making the sign of the cross over the bread and giving thanks.
I found the cross I cut on the loaf, divided it into fourths for easy sharing, and each quadrant was sliced into perfectly portioned servings!
Irish soda bread is just what you need to mop the bowl clean so you don't miss a drop of your favorite Irish Stew!
Everyone in the family is crazy about this bread and can't wait for me to bake another loaf. It is great toasted, by the way! This bread is the perfect accompaniment to a traditional St. Paddy's Day feast of :
Colcannon -The ultimate Irish comfort food made of potatoes, onions, cabbage, and bacon.
Guinness Irish Stew - A hearty, traditional Irish beef-and-vegetable stew with Guinness, you can make in about an hour in an Instant Pot.
A beautiful, moist bread that's slightly sweet. Traditional for St. Patrick's Day, perfect any time!
While soda bread is almost synonymous with Ireland, it was invented by Native Americans. The Native Americans discovered they could use pearl ash, a natural form of soda in wood ash, to leaven their bread. This process inspired baking soda, which was first introduced commercially in about 1830.
The Irish later discovered and replicated the process. While it seems like an ancient recipe, Irish soda bread emerged when baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, was first introduced to Ireland.
Various flavors like molasses, Guinness, orange zest, or nuts create endless possibilities for Irish soda bread. While the basic ingredients have remained the same, many Irish families add unique extras like raisins, caraway seeds, or honey.
No matter the flavor, the way to eat it remains the same: slice it, split it, and slather it with creamy Kerrygold Irish butter!
Ooh, before you go, I almost forgot to share these quick and easy desserts!
2-Ingredient Mini Apple Pies - Here's a fast and easy 2-ingredient dessert! Tasty little mini apple pies!
Easy Cherry Dump Cake - This quick, easy, and delicious small-batch recipe uses only three ingredients to make a buttery, spoonable cake that tastes great with ice cream!
Cake Mix Lemon Bars - One bowl, one spoon. Easy and fast lemon bars that melt in your mouth. Nothing this easy should taste this good, but they do!
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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