Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway

yooper's Note:

I have never made this, and doubt I ever will, since I'm not a fan or raisins. The reason for this submission is that this was a favorite recipe from Chef Jerry O'Leary, who worked in the corporate dining room at Cantor Fitzgerald's in the World Trade Center. Jerry lost his life on Sept 11. Taken from Oct 2002 issue of "Bon Apetit."

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes,room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups raisins
• 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Generously butter heavy ovenproof 10 to 12-inch diameter skillet with 2- to 2 1/2-inch-high sides.
3. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend.
4. Add butter, using fingertips, rub in until coarse crumbs form.
5. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds.
6. Whisk buttermilk and egg in medium bowl to blend.
7. Add to dough; using wooden spoon, stir just until incorporated.
8. Dough will be very sticky.
9. Transfer dough to prepared skillet; smooth top, mounding slightly in center.
10. Using small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut 1-inch-deep X in top center of dough.
11. Bake until bread is cooked through and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
12. Cool bread in skillet 10 minutes.
13. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Reviews

[Regina Debbing]

Extremely tasty. Is a bit messy to prepare, but the wonderful taste and rate at which it disappears makes it well worth it! Really, really good!

[weezo]

Quick & easy to prepare. Many soda bread recipes are bland. This was very tasty. I used a 12" skillet and it easily served 22. Positive comments from everyone. I will make it part of my annual St. Patrick's Day dinner.

[wilkiethegrid]

Wow! I don't know what traditional Irish Soda Bread tastes like so I'm calling this recipe it. I ran out of AP flour so I used two cups of Bread flour to make up the five total. I used 1 1/2 cups of zanti currants 1/2 cup Golden raisins and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries to make up the dried fruit. Then I pumped up the fruit by macerating in 1/4 cup of Johnny Walker Green.(Scottish I know but same effect). The photo shows I was able to shape it so I could bake it on a stone. I took about an hour to get a clean toothpick. It is very sticky dough to work with like a giant biscuit. All of my family and friends said it was the best they had ever had. This will be my traditional Irish Soda Bread.