Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soft shortening or cooking oil

• ½ cup brown sugar (can use raw or white sugar)

• 2 cup buttermilk

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 tablespoon caraway seeds

• 1 cup raisins

• 4 cup flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1-¼ teaspoon salt

Assemble

• All ingredients

• Small mixing bowl

• Large mixing bowl

• Medium Pyrex measuring bowl

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

• Wooden spoon

• Whisk

• Rubber spatula

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In small mixing bowl, blend (consistency of moist sand)

• 1 Tbsp oil

• 1/2 C brown sugar

In Pyrex dish, combine

• 2 C buttermilk

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 2 Tbsp caraway seeds

• 1 C raisins

Stir sugar mixture into buttermilk mixture 

In the large mixing bowl, whisk together:

• ~600g flour

• 1 Tbsp baking powder

• 1-1/4 tsp salt

Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture, then mix with wooden spoon until stiff, then finish with hand mixing. . 

Grease baking dish(es), then turn dough into the dish for baking. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes to an hour. Check for doneness with a toothpick as needed. Internal temperature should be 200-210 degrees when done.

Remove the bread from the oven, loosen its edges, and after 5 minutes turn it out onto a rack to cool.