Friday Feast | Delicious Irish Soda Bread

Welcome to Friday Feast! March blew into my part of the world like a lamb, so I'm expecting that we'll exit with a fierce roar of a storm. Or maybe not.

I'm celebrating my Irish heritage all month long in the Tavern. We'll have stews, breads, treats, and perhaps a Guinness ice cream float along the way. Yes, I love my Guinness! And if you've never sampled a pint in Ireland, you cannot even imagine how vastly different it tastes there. Oh, my...

Today's recipe is one that I've been making for almost 25 years. It's a treat any time of the year, but especially on St. Patrick's Day here in my home.

See you next week, my friends!

Sláinte mhath!

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Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cups golden raisins

1 tablespoon butter, melted

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8 or 9-inch round cake pan.

Combine in large bowl, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the caraway seeds. Cut in the butter and mix with hands until mixture resembles oatmeal.

Make a well in center of flour. Pour in buttermilk and add raisins. Mix lightly. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently a few times. Shape into a 5-inch round load and place in prepared pan.

Using a sharp knife, cut dough crosswise into quarters about one-third of the way through. Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar that has been mixed with the cinnamon.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with butter.