Irish Soda Bread
Cody Stringer (originally from Emerald Restaurant in Austin, Texas)
8-10 servings
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp salt
4 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 - 3 cups of buttermilk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups raisins or currants
1/4 cup caraway seeds (optional)
Strawberry Butter (makes 1 cup)
Bread: Combine flour and next four ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour in buttermilk and melted butter. Add more buttermilk if mixture is too dry or dust with flour if it is too sticky. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).
Place on a greased and floured baking sheet. Press dough evenly into a 11-inch thick circle. At the wedding, the chef pressed the dough into small individual biscuits. Your choice. Cut a cross in the top of the dough 3 inches wide.
Bake at 350˚F for one hour or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Might be less if baking the individual biscuits. Remove to wire rack. Spread butter on top and after it soaks in, wrap the loaf with a warm, damp kitchen towel to keep the bread moist, cool 5 minutes.
Strawberry Butter: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until light about 1 minute. Add strawberries and beat until combined, but not totally uniform.
8-10 servings
This is the Irish Soda Bread that was served at Briana and I’s wedding. This recipe is an original of the Kinsella family of the Emerald Restaurant, which specializes in gourmet Continental and Irish cuisine, and tastes best served warm and slathered with whipped strawberry butter. Sealbhaich! [Enjoy! in Gaelic] (June 2003)
6 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp salt
4 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 - 3 cups of buttermilk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups raisins or currants
1/4 cup caraway seeds (optional)
Strawberry Butter (makes 1 cup)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup hulled and coarsely chopped fresh strawberries
Bread: Combine flour and next four ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour in buttermilk and melted butter. Add more buttermilk if mixture is too dry or dust with flour if it is too sticky. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).
Place on a greased and floured baking sheet. Press dough evenly into a 11-inch thick circle. At the wedding, the chef pressed the dough into small individual biscuits. Your choice. Cut a cross in the top of the dough 3 inches wide.
Bake at 350˚F for one hour or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Might be less if baking the individual biscuits. Remove to wire rack. Spread butter on top and after it soaks in, wrap the loaf with a warm, damp kitchen towel to keep the bread moist, cool 5 minutes.
Strawberry Butter: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until light about 1 minute. Add strawberries and beat until combined, but not totally uniform.
Transfer to ramekins or small serving dishes. Chill until ready to serve, or transfer to 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll each into log, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw before using. Serve at room temperature.