With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, I wanted to try my hand at making Irish soda bread. I do some baking, but I’m definitely no expert. I knew I needed a straightforward recipe, so I turned to the food blog, Sally’s Baking Addiction. Photographer and cookbook author Sally McKenney’s recipes are often pretty easy to follow. She always includes great food photos too, which make me want to eat my computer. It also didn’t hurt that she called her recipe: Grandma’s Irish Soda Bread.  Anytime Grandma or Mama is in a recipe name, I’m there for it (I know, I’m a marketer’s dream).

Anyway…

I know traditional recipes include raisins, but I chose not to put them in because of my dog. Raisins are toxic to dogs, and my pup happens to be a crazy canine who can’t resist anything that falls on the floor. Mind you, I’m also an embarrassingly messy cook. Imagine what your kitchen would look like if a toddler prepared your meal, and that should give you an accurate picture of me mid-bake. All this to say, if you’re not quite the disaster I am, you may not have to forego the raisins.

I’ve put the recipe here, but feel free to check out the pictures on Sally’s website for inspiration.

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven & pan: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you’re using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also use a cast iron skillet (which you don’t have to preheat), a greased 9-10 inch cake pan or pie dish, or a 5 quart (or more) Dutch oven (greased or lined with parchment paper). Note: if using a Dutch oven, bake with the lid off.
• Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers. The mixture is flour-heavy, so do your best to create pea-sized butter crumbs.
• Pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture, gently folding it into the dry ingredients until the dough is too stiff to stir. 
• Pour the crumbly dough onto a lightly flour surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball and knead for about 30 seconds or until all of the flour is moistened. Note: if the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet or pan. 
• Using a sharp knife or bread lame, score the dough with a slash or an X (about a ½-inch deep).
• Bake until golden brown and the center is cooked through (about 45-55 minutes). If testing with an instant-read thermometer, the temperature of the loaf’s center should read 195 degrees Fahrenheit.  Note: if the top is browning too much, tent it with aluminum foil. 
• Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. 
• Enjoy warm with lots of butter (this is my addition to this recipe!).
• Cover and store leftover bread (wrapped tightly in aluminum foil) at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.