Irish Soda Bread

Makes two 8 inch round loaves

    Ingedients
  • 4 cups flour (I like to use half spelt flour and half whole wheat flour)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1/4 cup sugar (optional – you can make this bread as sweet as you like/ or not!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • ¼ cup butter –soft, not melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1-3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup dried currants and/ or raisins (optional)

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly.
Beat egg lightly, add to buttermilk and pour into dry ingredients.
Stir until blended.
Turn out on a floured board.
Knead until smooth (2 to 3 minutes)

Divide dough in half and shape each into a round loaf.
Place each loaf in a greased 8 inch cake or pie pan. With a sharp knife.
Make two cuts on the top to make a traditional cross shape.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes

This is bread is good warm from the oven or cold. Toasts well too.

Recipe from Lonna - adapted from the Sunset Cookbook of Breads