Bake an Irish Soda Bread!

Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

After the month of February that was filled with achoo, cough, cough, cough, achoo suddenly March is here!  This is the month when "everyone is Irish"! It's either by heritage, by marriage or by wishing.  Every year I bake an Irish Soda Bread (also called Spotted Dog) to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day morn.  I remember the year when I had about 2 cups of Fat Free Buttermilk in my fridge & suddenly I decided to make a bread for St. Patrick's Day.  A delicious easy recipe search brought me to my friend Carol's blog, Charli and Me.  Carol no longer blogs, but I know that she is getting ready to bake her yummy Irish raisin bread for her family, too!  It's become a tradition for me to post it for others to enjoy, also!

Here's a little background info:   The original recipe is from the Will O'Glenn Irish Bed and Breakfast in Michigan with Mrs. Biddy Gahan sharing it.  Carol had posted it on her blog and I discovered it after "googling".  Many other good cooks made it possible for me to bake & for my fam to enjoy, so now I post it for others, too.  It is so good!  

Have your Buttermilk, Raisins & Butter ready!  Low Salt Butter works just fine.  Melting the Butter & then cooling it down works easier than using softened Butter.  The Raisins soak in hot water before adding them to the very sticky batter.

This is one tasty bread!  Follow the directions, exactly!

A few handy tips:

• To work with sticky dough more easily, put a small dab of Butter on the palm of one hand, then rub palms together to coat with Butter.  Solves the problem.  :)

• Use a cake tester or toothpick to determine if bread is done after removing from hot oven.

• After the bread cools & is cut into slices, I also freeze a few slices.  They are first placed in sandwich bags and then freezer bags and sealed. 

Ready to be placed in preheated oven!
(File Photo)

Irish Soda Bread

Oven:  400°F, then lowered to 375°F     
Total baking time:  45 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 Cups Raisins
1 Cup boiling Water
*  *  *
1 stick Butter - I use unsalted.
2 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Cup Buttermilk, can be low fat/fat free

 Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spray a 8" or 9 " Pyrex Pie Plate with PAM.
3. In a small bowl combine Raisins and boiling Water.  Let sit while preparing dough.
4.  Melt Butter.  Cool.
5.  In larger bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder & Sugar.
6.  Add cooled melted Butter to dry ingredients, stir in. 
7.  Add Buttermilk, stir.
8. Add drained Raisins, stir.
9.  Shape into a ball after placing dough into pie plate.  Dough will be sticky.
10.  Bake 15 Minutes at 400°F.
11.  Lower oven to 375°F.  Bake 30 Minutes longer.
12.  Remove the bread from pie plate and cool on rack.
13.  After cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
14.  Wait at least 5 hours before cutting into slices and eating. 

This is one tasty bread!  Follow the directions, exactly!  I cut the bread into slices and then place in two sealed Ziploc Bags.  A half slice of Irish Soda Bread is a very tasty treat.  The other half slice is located quickly!  Extra slices do freeze well, also.  They are a special treat later in the month!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!