Best Pioneer Irish Soda Bread Recipes

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter it lightly, and set it aside.
• Place the caraway seeds on a cutting board and sprinkle with a few drops of water to keep them from sliding around. Use a chef's knife to roughly chop the caraway seeds a bit so that they are not all whole seeds. Place the seeds in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the rye flour, sugar, currants, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed for a few seconds until combined. Cut the butter into 8 to 10 pieces and add it to the flour mixture; paddle for 20 to 30 seconds on low until the butter is somewhat broken down but there are still pieces about the size of grapes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, creme fraiche, and whole egg until thoroughly mixed. With the mixer running on low, pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and paddle for another 10 to 15 seconds, until the dough just comes together. There will probably still be a little loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gather and lift the dough with your hands and turn it over in the bowl so that it starts to pick up the loose flour at the bottom. Turn the dough over several times until all the loose flour is mixed in.
• Dump the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Whisk the egg yolk lightly in a small bowl with a fork. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash evenly over the entire top of the dough. Score the dough into 8 wedges as you would cut a pizza. (At this point the soda bread can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the entire circle of soda bread is golden brown and firm when pressed in the center.
• Remove from the oven and immediately smear the butter evenly over the entire top surface. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then slice the soda bread along the scored lines into wedges and serve.

PIONEER IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• 1. Add vinegar to milk and set aside.
• 2. Mix together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
• 3. Rub in butter with your fingertips.
• 4. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and a little at a time and stir in to form
• the dough.
• 5. Shape the dough into a flat circle about 2 inches thick on a lightly
• greased cookie sheet.
• 6. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Eat the bread while it's fresh and warm.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
• With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
• Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
• Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• in mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.
• stir thoroughly.
• cut in butter till crumbly,.
• add buttermilk.
• stir just enough to moisten.
• turn on lightly floured surface.
• knead 8 to 10 times.
• put in greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
• bake at 350 for 1 hour or until browned and inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• this may also be baked in a casserole or on a baking sheet.
• VARIATION;add one cup raisins or currants.