Irish Soda Bread

With St. Patrick's Day drawing near, I started getting a very distinct craving. Irish Soda Bread. 

Besides corned beef and potatoes, Irish soda bread is the most traditional food in my family come St. Paddy's Day. This is even my Grandma's recipe. It's so good, my leading man's wholly Irish Grandfather raves about it.

 The secret to it's awesomeness is buttermilk, but if you don't have any on hand, you could always use the old acid trick: add a tablespoon of vinegar to the four cups of milk and let it sit a few minutes before pouring it into the dry ingredients. It'll wield pretty close to the same results.


Irish Soda Bread
(recipe from my Grandma O'Brien)


6 cups flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 quart (4 cups) buttermilk
1/2 tablespoon baking soda.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart ceramic casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, sift and mix all of the dry ingredients and add the sugar and raisins. Measure the baking soda into the pint of buttermilk and let it sit a moment.

pour the buttermilk over the flour mixture and stir until wet but not smooth. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and smooth out the top.

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack until room temperature. Slice and serve with butter.