Thoughts From The Loo

Irish Soda Bread is delicious all times of year, not just for Saint Patrick’s Day. I especially love it with a hot cuppa tea on a cool and rainy day. This is my Gramma’s recipe she learned as a girl in Ireland!

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Unsifted Flour
• 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 Cup Raisins
• 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 2 Cups Buttermilk
• 2 Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350F, and grease two 9-inch loaf pans, one large loaf pan, or a pie dish
2. Combine beaten eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter
3. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl; stir in raisins
4. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well
5. Pour batter into pan(s), and sprinkle the top with sugar
6. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clear; the top of the loaf should be slightly browned
7. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely before slicing

This soda bread is moist, and almost cakey, unlike what you will usually get at a store (I love it, but store-bought soda bread is usually dry and crumbly). For Saint Patrick’s Day, I will usually make a large loaf to share at work, and make small, individual loaves to give to my co-workers to take home. I prefer the round loaf you get using a pie pan, and that is how Gramma always made it, so it keeps her memory alive for me.