Soda Bread (Irish Whiskey Soda)

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

Bread

• 4 cups flour , all purpose
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ cup butter , chilled
• 1 cup raisins (optional) or 1 cup currant (optional)
• ½ cup honey , liquid
• ¼ cup Irish whiskey or ¼ cup buttermilk

Glaze

• 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions:

1. BREAD: In large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.
2. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in raisins or currants (if using).
4. In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey and whisky.
5. Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir just until no dry spots remain.
6. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.
7. Knead lightly 1 minute (too much handling will toughen loaves, while too little will inhibit rising.) Divide dough in half and shape each half into an 8 in (20 cm) round.
8. Place in two greased 8 in (1.2 L) round cake pans.
9. With floured knife, cut a cross 1/2 in deep in each loaf.
10. GLAZE: In small bowl, combine whisky and milk.
11. Brush loaves with glaze.
12. Bake in 350F (180C) oven 35 to 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottoms.
13. Remove from pans; let cool on wire racks.
14. Cut into wedges.

Reviews

[Chef #1299044]

Mine was not a pretty sight when it came out of the oven, so I was a tad nervous that it would not taste good. It was awesome! I couldn't stop eating it! I actually did have to add more buttermilk than it called for. (Did anyone else need more liquid?) Overall, this was a huge hit!

[Dee514]

Tried your soda bread recipe this St. Pat's Day (instead of using our traditional family recipe). It is sort of a cross between Irish soda bread and Irish whiskey cake. The texture was a tad bit different, but the flavor was good, although a bit sweeter than the soda bread we are used to). I now have a new favorite to add to my growing list of 'fam faves'! (Anything with a "wee bit o' Jameson's" in it has got to be good, right?) ;) I did make one slight change to your recipe....I soaked the raisins in the Jameson's for an hour or so before adding them to the dry ingredients (just because we prefer our raisins 'plumped'). Next time I make this (and there will be a next time) I think I will use sugar instead to cut the sweetness of the honey, and add some buttermilk to make up for the 'liquid' of the honey. We did enjoy it, thanks for posting.