Irish soda bread is the worker's food. Soda bread relies on baking soda to leaven the bread instead of yeast, and in the mid-19th century, it was a revelation in Ireland. Although bread was of course nothing new, the poor quality of the wheat meant that the flour it produced did not rise well with yeast. The development of baking soda easily solved the problem, and soon quick bread made with just flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk became a dinnertime staple.
Having more in common with biscuits than yeast bread, it doesn't take time to rise (unlike yeast bread) and is actually best if kneading is kept to a minimum, meaning it can be done quickly and without fanfare. It's the perfect companion to Irish stew or enjoyed toasted and spread with butter or jam.
The traditional variation we're doing here, known as "Spotted Dog," goes great with corned beef and cabbage and maybe a nice Irish ale. Expanding on the original four ingredients, the spotted dog adds egg and sugar, giving it a thicker crust, and caraway seeds and raisins for flavor.
This "spotted dog" variation on traditional Irish soda bread is quick and easy to make, requiring less than 10 minutes of work and 50 minutes to bake. Start by combining 3 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds in a large bowl.
Cut 4 tablespoons of butter into the bowl and use a pastry cutter or fork to form the flour into a coarse meal.
Form a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk and egg. For those used to making cookies, the process of making soda bread is very similar. Bonus DIY Tip:If you get this far and find you don't have any buttermilk on hand (like I did), you can whip up your own quickly by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit. rest. 5 minutes.
Add the raisins, stir, then mix the mixture with your hands until the dough comes together. Don't overwork the dough.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased cast iron skillet or cake pan. The dough should be sticky and a bit fluffy, but it will hold together.
Use a long serrated knife to cut a shallow X in the top of the dough. Although some believe that the cross has significance as a religious cross or to cast out the devil, the purpose is a bit more practical. The X will allow the bread to rise and cook evenly.
Bake bread in a 375 degree oven for 50 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Once removed from oven, let sit 10 minutes in pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting (earlier and may crack).
