Best Ever Irish Soda Bread

 

Best Ever Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

St. Patrick's Day is soon!  It's the day when just about everyone is Irish!  Me??  Oh, I'm Irish by marriage.  For that reason, I just knew years ago that I needed to bake a really great tasting Irish Soda Bread.  The kind of Irish Soda Bread that tasted better than any that I had tasted. 

I did locate a great recipe!  Now, whenever I sample a slice of other breads, it's always, "Ah, no, not as good."  Sometimes, they are a bit too dry.  Other times there are not many raisins to enjoy.  That does make a big difference.  

In my quest for the "perfect" Irish Soda Bread, I googled.  At that time my search led me to Carol who also had a foodie blog.  The ingredients were few and the method was so easy.  In my haste one year I melted and cooled the unsalted Butter.  That error led to a much easier method of preparing the dough.  

The dough is very sticky.  It's also plump full of Raisins!  The Raisins are soaked in hot water, first, drained and then added to the other ingredients.

Ready to be baked!
(File Photo)

This year, rather than write out the recipe for Best Ever Irish Soda Bread, here is the link.  Yes, it is worth it to click on this link!  Last week I purchased the needed ingredients, because I knew I had to bake this yummy bread for this Tuesday.  I'll be baking it tomorrow!   

If you have any extra slices, they can be frozen to enjoy at another time.  I place each half slice in a sandwich bag and then place all of the sandwich bags into a freezer bag.  The needed amount can be defrosted. This also makes a great gift for other family members!  In this photo it's cut and sliced and ready to be enjoyed.

A great treat to share!
(File Photo)

If you do not have Buttermilk in your fridge, save this recipe to use after purchasing it in the coming weeks.  The other ingredients, too, if they are not in your pantry.  This is one very tasty Irish Soda Bread!!  Whenever I bake one I always think of Carol who introduced me to this delicious bread!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

     


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               Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

It's March! Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day!  It's time to bake the Irish Soda Bread to enjoy this weekend!!!  This yummy bread is also called Spotted Dog.  Oh, it is so good!

Unsalted Butter, Raisins & Fat Free or Low Fat Buttermilk are 3 of the ingredients.  Enjoying a slice or two of this bread on St. Patrick's Day is a tradition in my family.  What a great bread!  If you have any extra slices, they can be frozen to enjoy another weekend.  There just may not be any extra slices.

Here's my history of me finding this recipe: 

I'll always remember the year I was "googling" for an Irish Soda Bread recipe that used 1 Cup of Buttermilk.  That's all I had in the fridge.  There was the recipe on the blog Charli and Me written by Carol.  Carol shared that this great recipe originally came from the Will O'Glenn Irish Bed and Breakfast in Michigan with Mrs. Biddy Gahan sharing it.  I'm always so happy that all of these kind folks passed it along!  I use unsalted & fat free/ low fat ingredients & it's so good!  Every year I bake this Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day & also a couple of other times during the year.

***My hints:

• Melt & then cool the Butter before using.
• Before placing the sticky dough in the pie plate, rub a little Butter on your hands.
• Spray the pie plate with PAM. 

Ready to place in my oven!

Irish Soda Bread
Oven: 400°F, then lowered to 375°F.

Total baking time:  40- 45 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 Cups Raisins
1 Cup Boiling Water
**********
1 stick unsalted Butter 
2 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Cup Buttermilk, can be Fat Free or Low Fat 
PAM

Method:  

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.  Spray Pyrex pie plate with PAM.
3.  In a small bowl combine Raisins & boiling water.  Let sit while preparing dough.
4.  Melt butter.  Cool.
5.  In large mixing bowl combine Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder & Sugar. 
6.  Add melted Butter to dry ingredients.  Stir in.
7.  Add Buttermilk. Stir.
8.  Add drained Raisins.  Stir. 
9.  Shape the dough into a ball after placing in the pie plate.  Dough is sticky.
10.  Bake 15 Minutes at 400°F.
11.  Then, lower oven temperature to 375°F.  Bake 25- 30 Minutes longer.
12.  Remove bread from pie plate after using a cake tester or toothpick to test for "done".  
13.  Cool on rack.
14.  Wait at least 5 hours before cutting into slices.
15.  Enjoy!

Heat half of a slice in the microwave for a few seconds.  What an extra special treat!  Warm or room temperature, this is just so good!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!    

Irish Soda Bread!

Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

It's Irish Soda Bread time of year!  The bread enjoyed during St. Patrick's Day week that's loaded with Raisins!  I make it using 1 stick of Butter & 1 cup of Buttermilk!  What a great treat and it's so easy!  Really!  Surprise your family this year if you never have before by baking this yummy bread!  No need to purchase one.

Another name for this tasty bread is Spotted Dog.  Every year at this time I now share my very happy memory of me locating this recipe. In my fridge was an opened container of Buttermilk.  I was googling for an Irish Soda Bread recipe & located a blog, Charli and Me written by Carol.  Much to my happiness I saw what I had been searching for.

Originally the recipe is from the Will O'Glenn Irish Bed and Breakfast in Michigan with Mrs. Biddy Gahan sharing it.  Carol then shared it on her blog.  Every year at this time the low fat Buttermilk & unsalted Butter are in my fridge- waiting, along with a canister of Raisins in my pantry.  

Below are a few hints that I've learned to bake a great Irish Soda Bread:

• One year I was working too quickly & melted the Butter in error.  After it cooled, I added the melted/ cooled Butter to the dry ingredients and discovered that the dough was easier to work with.  Now I always melt/ cool the Butter.

•  I have a gas oven and my baking time is 10- 15 minutes more than the original recipe.  The extra time is included in my recipe below.

• Before working with the dough by hand rub a little butter on your hands.  The sticky dough will not stick to your hands. 

 

Irish Soda Bread ready for oven!
(File Photo)

 
Irish Soda Bread
Oven:  400°F, then lowered to 375°F
Total baking time:  40- 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 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 25- 30 Minutes longer.
12. Remove the bread from pie plate after using cake tester or toothpick to test for done and cool on rack.
13. Cool. 
14. Wait at least 5 hours before cutting into slices and eating.

After cutting the bread into slices, I then place it in two sealed Ziploc Bags.  A half slice of Irish Soda Bread is a very tasty treat.  Heated for a few seconds in the microwave is oh, so good, too!

The extra slices do freeze well.  It's always a great treat to find a package in the freezer the following week!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!