Irish Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is a terrific bread for your next St. Patrick's Day party or for sunday supper.
This bread is quick and easy to make since it is a quick bread.  The raisons, caraway seeds and buttermilk give this bread a unique flavor from Ireland.  This bread tastes great the next day when toasted for breakfast.  This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Baking Book.  I did us King Arthur's Bread Flour instead of all-purpose flour they suggested in the original recipe.

Irish Soda Bread:
Makes:  One 8 inch round loaf
Pre-heat Oven:  350 degrees

4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, plus some for sprinkling on top of bread
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
2 cups raisons (soaked in 1 cup hot water then drained)
1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl place the raisons in a cup of hot water and allow them to sit for 5 minutes to rehydrate. Drain the water off from the raisons.  In a large bowl place the flour, sugar, caraway seeds, baking powder and salt and stir until combined.  Cut the cold butter into small pieces and cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry knife.  The mixture should look like coarse meal or small peas.  Fold in the raisons to the flour mixture.  In a small bowl whisk the one egg and buttermilk and baking soda together.  Then slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and gently bring the the two together.  Only bring the batter together or the bread will be tough.  With your hands form a round loaf about 8 inches in diameter.  Place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolk with the cream.  Using a pastry knife, brush the loaf with the egg wash.  With a sharp knife cut a cross about 3/4 inch deep in the center of the loaf.  Sprinkle the loaf with additional caraway seeds.  Bake the loaf for 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool the bread on a wire rack.   Eat the bread hot or at room temperature.

Egg Washing The Irish Soda Bread and Sprinkle With Caraway Seeds

Irish Soda Bread:  Baked