St. Patrick's Day Irish Soda Bread

I have posted about Irish Soda Bread before, but this year I tried a new recipe that had great reviews, and that I had all the ingredients on hand. Being a Delaney (by marriage), and it being St. Patrick's Day Week – I have researched a bit about its origins.
 
Soda Bread became popular in Ireland when bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) became available as a leavening agent.  Bread soda made it possible to work with the “soft” wheat grown in Ireland’s climate, versus the “hard” wheat flour like we have in the US today which needs yeast to rise properly. “Soft” wheat doesn’t work well with yeast but is great for quick breads, like soda bread.
 
There is also a Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread and on their website you can learn a lot more about the history of soda bread. But according to them, the earliest published soda bread recipe was in a London magazine in 1836.
 
Soda Bread’s popularity was easy to understand – the soda wasn’t perishable, it was relatively inexpensive, and the other two main ingredients – wheat flour and buttermilk (which is a by-product of making butter) were easily available.
 
Before baking, a cross is traditionally cut on the top of the soda bread.  It is said that this is done to bless the house and ward off the devil.  But it is also practical - it lets the heat get through to the thickest part of the bread so it can stretch and rise.  It also automatically separates the bread into 4 equal quadrants making it easy to break apart, hence both breaking bread and giving thanks.
 
The previous recipe I made was “Granny Reynold’s Soda Bread.”  According to the recipe, “Casements Bar in San Francisco serves this tender and tangy soda bread, based on a family recipe from co-owner Gillian Fitzgerald.” Gillian says its equally delicious topped with butter and jam for breakfast or dipped in stew for supper. I can say that it was delicious with butter and jam. 

This year I made Nana Dot's Irish Soda Bread, and it was  very easy to make this morning to enjoy all weekend long. How lucky (!) for me! Enjoy!

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Nana Dot's Irish Soda Bread
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield:  2 loaves

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
  
• ½ cup butter, cut into pieces
  
• 1 cup raisins
  
• ½ cup currants
  
• 2 teaspoons caraway seed (Optional)
  
• ¾ cup milk
  
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease two baking sheets.
   
2. Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl until evenly blended. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins, currants, and caraway seeds; make a well in the center and pour in the milk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
   
3. Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times. Divide the dough into two balls, and place onto the prepared baking sheets.
   
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.