Soda Bread

The first dish that Toplist wants to introduce to you is Soda Bread. Soda Bread is one of Ireland’s most popular breads and it is made without yeast.

Baking soda and buttermilk are needed to make it rise, and when combined, they operate as a leavening agent. To make soda bread sweeter, some people add sugar, honey, or dried fruits, while others add bran, oats, or a sprinkle of seeds for a health benefit.

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 4 tablespoons butter, cubed and slightly softened; 1 cup currants or raisins; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 3/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk 4 cups of the flour together with the sugar, salt, and baking soda.

• Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Then add in the currants or raisins.

• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the beaten egg and buttermilk to the well and mix in with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir.

• Use floured hands to gently gather the dough into a rough ball shape. The dough will be soft and sticky. If it is more like a batter than a dough, add up to 1/2 cup more flour until you have a sticky, shaggy dough.

• Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (It will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet).
  Using a serrated knife, score the top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks.

• Transfer to the oven and bake at 425°F until the bread is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 to 45 minutes.

• Remove the pan or sheet from the oven, and let the bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, remove to a rack to cool briefly.