Irish Soda Bread (Marilyn O'Reilly)

Irish Soda Bread sliced.

Waiting for it to cool to eat!  

I made this on May 3, 2020.  This one's a keeper.  Super delicious and not dense as some non-yeast breads!
Great with butter.










Ingredients

• 3 C flour
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 T butter (1/4 C, 1/2 stick)
• 2 T caraway seeds, optional
• 1 C raisins
• 1 C buttermilk
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt and stir well to mix.
3. Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears in the dry ingredients.
4. Stir in the caraway seeds (if used) and the raisins.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix in to the dough mixture with a spatula.
6. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf.  
7. Transfer the load to a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment paper or foil and cut a cross in the top.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.
9. Cool the bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter and orange marmalade.