Ga Ga Jane’s Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is tasty, easy to make and the perfect addition to your St. Patrick's Day Meal.  Here is a great recipe from a recent cooking class with Patty Roche in our Cooking School that uses raisins and caraway seeds to give it a unique flavor.

Ga Ga Jane’s Soda Bread
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) 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°F. Generously butter heavy ovenproof 10- to 12-inch-diameter skillet with 2- to 2 1/2-inch-high sides.

2) Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse crumbs form. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Whisk buttermilk and egg in medium bowl to blend. Add to dough; using wooden spoon, stir just until well incorporated (dough will be very sticky).

3) Transfer dough to prepared skillet; smooth top, mounding slightly in center. Using small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut 1-inch-deep X in top center of dough. Bake until bread is cooked through and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool bread in skillet 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in foil; store at room temperature.)