Irish soda bread with currants
Soda bread gets its name from baking soda, which is used as the leavening agent in this bread - no yeast required. The lemon zest and dried currants give this bread sweetness and texture. You can certainly add different citrus zest and dried fruit for your own signature recipe.
YIELDS
1
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dried currants
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and set the rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt
- Add the egg to the buttermilk and lightly whisk together until combined.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and lightly mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined
- Add in lemon zest and dried currants. Continue mixing until a ball forms. The dough will be very sticky.
- Generously flour your hands and work surface. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and gently shape the dough into a round loaf using your hands.
- Place the dough onto your prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut an X on top of the soda bread.
- Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top. The top of the loaf should be golden brown once finished.
- Let cool for 15 minutes on a rack before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
TIP: Store loaf in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to four days.
