A golden loaf studded with sweet dried currants, Irish soda bread goes together easily in just one bowl. Not just for St. Patrick’s Day, this is a nice recipe to have in your file for any time of the year. It’s nice served with apricot jam.
¼cupnatural granulated sugaror monk fruit, or blend the two.
1 ½teaspoonsaluminum free baking powder
1teaspoonsea salt
¾teaspoonbaking soda
3tablespoonscold unsalted buttercut into small cubes
1cupbuttermilksee substitutions below
⅔cupdried currants
1Largeegg
Instructions
Pre-heat oven
Pre-heat oven to 350*F degrees. Spray or lightly oil a 9” round cake pan. Line the bottom with a round of baking parchment. Alternatively use baking parchment on a rimmed baking sheet, cookie sheet, or cast iron skillet.
Mix the Dough
Into a medium bowl, measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. For accuracy, use a digital scale to weigh the flour or use dry measuring cups (see notes below). Whisk to combine or stir well with a fork. Add the cold butter cubes and with a fork or a pastry blender, mix in until the flour becomes a coarse pebbly mixture.
Push dry ingredients around the edge of the bowl and make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour buttermilk into the center, then add egg and whisk with a fork. until combined. Gradually stir the buttermilk and flour mixture together with the fork. The dough will be sticky. Stir in the currants.
Shape the Loaf
Sprinkle your cutting board with a little extra flour to shape the dough. Place the dough onto the floured space and sprinkle the top of the dough with a little extra flour as well, but don't use too much. Shape the dough into a flat, round loaf about ¾ of an inch thick and 7 inches across.
Bake the Bread
Transfer the dough to the cake pan and pat lightly to reshape if needed. It will not come to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the top with an extra teaspoon of sugar (optional). Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove bread from the oven, cool in the pan 10 minutes then move the loaf to cool on a wire rack. Slice or crosswise or cut into wedges and enjoy.
Notes
For King Arthur's Measure for Measure GF flour, 2 cups = 9 ounces.
For Bob's Red Mill 1:1 GF flour, 1 ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon = 9 ounces.
To measure flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and smooth off top of the cup with the flat edge of a table knife or similar tool. Do not scoop the flour from the bag as you'll get more than you need.
Dried fruit options: Currants are widely available but you can substitute dried cranberries, chopped pitted dates, chopped dried cherries or dried blueberries.
If you are egg sensitive, this can be made with no egg or an egg replacement.