This recipe came from a cookbook I found in a little used bookstore in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. It’s called Homemade Bread.

And how very appropriate that the first thing I make from it is Irish Soda Bread.

For those of you who don’t know my husband, he loves his Nanny’s Irish Soda Bread. Since I’ve never tried any other irish soda bread, and very well shouldn’t because Nanny’s is so good. But, I was curious…at least to prove yet again that hers is the best.

This recipe was good, just not as moist as Nanny’s.

I did learn too, that you have to shape your ball wide enough and not too tall. Otherwise you’ll have unbaked dough in the middle….yes, that happened here. 🙂 Oops!

I hope you enjoy it!

And don’t forget to vote today!

Irish Soda Bread

adapted from Homemade Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1 1/3 cups light buttermilk
• 1 egg

How-To

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and with the kneading attachment, knead the dough until all combined. I had to add 2 tablespoons of water to the dough to get it good and combined…I think I added too much flour, so that compensated for it.
4. Form the dough into a ball and turn onto a baking sheet.
5. Cut an X on the top.
6. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half, or a knife comes out clean.