Breads: Caraway Seed Irish Soda Bread

By SharonE

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups (340 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan and top of the loaf
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup (70 g) dried currants, optional
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270 ml) buttermilk, as needed

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack in the oven’s center and preheat to 400F. Dust bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with flour.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a large bowl. Add butter pieces and stir to coat with flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly, with some pea-size pieces of butter. Stir in currants and caraway seeds, if using. Stir in enough buttermilk to make a moist, soft dough, being sure to moisten all the dry bits on the bottom of the bowl. Knead in bowl just a few times to be sure the dough comes together — this is not a smooth dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a round loaf. Sprinkle top with at least 1 tablespoon flour to give it a rustic look. Transfer to prepared pan. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow 4-inch-wide X in the top. The X will open during baking and help the loaf bake evenly.

Bake until top is deep golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 35-40 minutes. Remove from pan. Let cool on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes, and serve warm. (The bread is best the day it is made.) Makes 1 loaf.