Irish Soda Bread

While cleaning up a box from mom and dad's house (yes, I still have boxes from that long ago to sift through...) I came across a handwritten recipe for Irish Soda Bread in my grandmother's handwriting.  I read the recipe and thought, "Today is a perfect day to make some bread."  So off to the store I went to pick up the few ingredients that I required.  This is an easy bread to make.  It is not a 'sweet' bread, but it is a very good bread for breakfast with a touch of marmalade.  It is also good in the evening with a little butter and a cup of hot tea. 

Ingredients-

3 ¾ cups of whole wheat flour (plus 1 Tbsp. for currants)
1 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. sugar  (I used Splenda)
½ stick unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup of currants
2 cups of fat free cultured buttermilk
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 tsp. Kosher salt

What to do-

Preheat the oven to 375 and prepare a baking sheet (lightly grease or as I did use silicon baking mat)

 

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and (sweetener) in a bowl.  Add in the cubed butter and blend well with a pastry cutter.  (Or do as I did and use the Kitchen Aid with the paddle!)

 

 

Beat the egg, and then mix with the buttermilk and orange zest.  Slowly add this to the flour mixture and mix well.

In a small bowl mix the Tbsp. of flour with the currants, and then add to the dough, stirring well.

Drop the mixture onto a floured surface and knead slightly into a ball, adding a little flour here and there as you deem necessary.  It is a sticky mess, but well worth it. 

 

 

Place the ball onto the baking sheet and then using a sharp knife cut and ‘X’ over the top of the ball.

Bake for 50 minutes, then place on rack to cool. 

 

ENJOY!