3 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Sugar
1 tb Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
4 tb Unsalted butter
2 tb Caraway seeds, optional
c Raisins
1 c Buttermilk
1 Egg
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400
degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder,
soda and salt and stir well to mix. Add the butter and rub in until
the butter disappears into the dry ingredients. Stir in the caraway
seeds if used and the raisins. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk
and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber
spatula. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it
over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer
the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment
or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes,
until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges
clean.
Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter
and bitter orange marmalade.
Yield: One large loaf
COOKING LIVE SHOW #CL9085
(courtesy of Marilyn O’Reilly, “Cooking Live” ‘s Executive Producer)
Yields
4 servings