Soda Bread with Raisins is Warm and Delicious on a Snowy Winter Morning!
This delicious bread is so simple to make that I can find no reason not to make a fresh loaf every morning!
There is nothing better than waking up on a snowy winter morning to the smell of bread baking in the oven.
This slightly sweet, crumbly quick bread worked well with 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup baking flour.
I also used turbinado in the place of granulated white sugar.
Ingredients
Raisin Soda Bread
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour (or 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour)
3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
3/4 cup (100 grams) Thompson raisins
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk (soured milk)
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture, with a pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add most of the buttermilk. Using yours hands, or a wooden spoon, mix (adding more buttermilk if necessary) until you have a soft moist dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a 7 inch (18 cm) round. Place the round on your prepared baking sheet and then, with a sharp knife, cut a 1/4 inch deep “X” across the top of the bread.
Bake for about 40 – 50 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. You can also test that is fully baked by tapping the bottom of the bread – it should sound hollow. Remove from oven. This bread is wonderful when served warm with butter. It also makes great toast.
Makes one seven inch (18 cm) round raisin soda bread.
The dough hook on my Kitchen Aid mixer makes this a peice of cake!
I always use parchment paper.
This recipe is so quick and easy.
You can have warm bread in less than an hour!
What a great last minute surprise for breakfast.
Cold butter on warm bread is a special treat!
What is especially nice is that you can usually find most of these ingredients in your pantry at all times.
No buttermilk? Add lemon juice to milk!
No raisins? Use dried cranberries or prunes.
…even chocolate chips would work nicely and the kids will love it!