Now that these Irish soda bread muffins are all gone – gobbled up in a flash – I think I’d be equally okay with finding another basket of these at the end of a rainbow. Okay, fine, maybe the muffins alongside a 5 1/2 quart round soleil Le Creuset french oven with even just a handful of gold pieces thrown in. What, I can’t be specific about the pot?!

But I digress. Irish soda bread muffins. Yes, yes.

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Oh yes, I know – for many, it’s a time of year for all that is green and holy. But for me? It’s the time of year for currants and caraway seeds. Time for the most tender, heavenly, crusty crust known to man and leprechaun. It’s Irish Soda Bread season, lads and lassies. And when it comes to mid-March, well, it’s my bread and butter. Figuratively. And literally.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Ina Garten’s Irish Soda Bread
• More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

The Story Behind the Recipe

My favorite recipe is probably not terribly authentic but heck, it’s close enough, and like most Irish Soda Breads (and unlike many other St. Patty’s theme recipes) doesn’t involve one teensy drop of green food coloring. And genuine or not, it’s so delicious, I want to dance a jig. But I don’t actually dance a jig – ever tried to do that while eating a thick slice of buttered bread? Not good. Not good at all.

Ina Garten’s Irish Soda Bread

My recipe inspiration? None other than the Barefoot Contessa herself, the great and powerful Ina Garten of everything simple and fabulous. I follow her recipe almost to a T – I leave out the orange zest and often add some caraway seeds. And I add twice the butter – a happy mistake that created such an extra-terrific loaf of bread that I can’t go back now. The result is an amazing, crusty round of dense, slightly sweet bread that’s divine right out of the oven and, the next day, makes the most delicious toast you’ve ever had.

And so here, finally, is the recipe. Okay, fine, fine, enjoy it with a little green beer if you absolutely must.

More Irish Soda Bread Recipes

• Cranberry Orange Irish Soda Bread
• Vegan Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Soda Bread Muffins
• Ina Garten Inspired Irish Soda Bread

Print

Irish Soda Bread

This recipe yields one buttery, crusty loaf that basically makes the best. toast. ever.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 loaf

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour plus another tablespoon or so for the currants
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into squares
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk I make cheater’s buttermilk with milk and lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dried currants
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds optional

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cookie sheet or cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of flour into the currants, and set aside. Barefoot Contessa says the flour keeps the currants from sinking to the bottom of the dough, and who am I to question her?
• In the bowl of a stand mixer affixed with the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
• Beating on low, mix in the butter until fairly well blended. You'll probably still see little lumps of butter here and there, but that's okay.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat it with a fork.
• Pour the egg into the buttermilk, give it a stir, and then add the buttermilk and egg to the flour and butter mixture while beating on low.
• Mix just until everything comes together.
• Add the currants and mix just until incorporated.
• Turn the dough onto a floured board. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
• Work enough flour into the bread to be able to knead it a just a few times.
• Form the bread into a round loaf.
• Move the loaf to the baking sheet.
• With a sharp knife, cut a shallow X into the top of the bread dough.
• Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until golden brown and it sounds a little hollow when you knock on it. You can also try using a cake tester just to be sure – when it comes out clean, it’s done.
• Cool for a few minutes, and then enjoy Irish Soda Bread season! It’ll be gone before you know it. And then it’s Cadbury Egg season.

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