Irish Soda Bread

About 25 years ago, I had a conversation about soda bread that changed my mind about it forever. Growing up, I thought soda bread was the closest thing to a doorstop and had no idea why anyone would eat it. When I mentioned this to the mother of my boyfriend at the time, she gave me her recipe. Hand-scratched on an index card, I have kept it ever since and have made it repeatedly.

Yes, it’s true. Many recipes make a dry result and Ireland is not the only country that makes one. Scotland, Australia, and even Poland and Serbia have their own versions. It’s a quick bread using baking soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast. Yeast needs time and a proper climate; this does not. No need for over-mixing or kneading the dough. Throw it together and pop it in the oven. Done!

The bread often calls for dried fruits, nuts, and other ingredients. Some add buttermilk while others add melted butter or yogurt. In this recipe, the secret ingredient to making more of a cake-like product than a brittle brick is sour cream. The taste is soft and supple. If you like, you can even swap out the all purpose flour for cake flour. The end result is far richer than what you typically find at the supermarket.

You can toast it, serve it for breakfast, or even a dessert. Either way, this is a bread you can’t help but snack on little by little until it’s all gone.

Here’s the recipe:

2 c. all purpose flour

2/3 c. sugar

1 TB baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp caraway seeds

2 c. sour cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

4 TB butter, melted

½ c. golden raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in seeds. Combine egg, sour cream, and butter in separate bowl. Add flour mixture to the sour cream mixture. Add raisins. Place in a greased 8” round pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, although check at 45 minutes. You don’t want to over-bake.

Yields 1 loaf.