This recipe is a twist on the traditional Irish Soda Bread. We wanted to Amp-up the flavor! We searched many recipes and came up with this recipe.
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Irish Soda Bread
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Sift together:
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*5 cups All-purpose Flour, sifted
*1 cup Whole Wheat Flour, sifted
*1 tablespoon Baking Powder
*1 teaspoon Sea Salt
*1 teaspoon Baking Soda
*1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
*1/2 cup Sugar
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Use a large strainer and sift the above ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Wet Ingredients:
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*3/4 cup Butter, cut into cubes/squares
*2 1/2 cups Buttermilk
*1 Egg
*2 teaspoons fresh Orange Juice or (Juice from 1 Orange)
*zest from 1 Orange
*2 teaspoons Caraway Seeds or Fennel Seeds
*1 cup Currants or Raisins, soaked in Water or Apple Juice and then drained
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Top coating:
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*Pam cooking spray or Butter, melted for tops of bread dough
*Cinnamon and Granulated Sugar Sprinkled on top
*Sugar Crystals, Large
Preheat oven to 350*F.
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Recipe can make 1 medium/large loaf and bakes for 1 hour and 6 small ramekin loaves and are baked for 40-45 minutes.
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In a stand mixer with paddle attachment on low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients and slowly add the cubed butter. (Mix just until cubes of butter are covered with flour.)
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In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
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Then add to the flour/butter mixture; buttermilk mixture, Orange Juice (plus zest) and desired seeds. Mix ingredients until barely combined and remove dough from mixing bowl onto a floured surface and knead/fold in currants or raisins adding flour as needed. Note: Dough is supposed to be very sticky.
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Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 round dough loaves or divide them as desired for baking dishes.
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Then with cooking spray, spray tops loaves and cut a cross shape on the top of the dough loaves. Sprinkle them with desired sugar toppings.
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*Bake bread in a (cooking sprayed/buttered) Ceramic baking dish or Enamel Coated Cast Iron Skillet or Small Ramekins.
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Recipe makes 2 medium/large round loaves or 1 medium/large round loaf and 6 small Ramekins etc…
Enjoy!
Lindy and Jessica
