Irish Soda Bread (With Variant for Spotted Do

Title:
Irish Soda Bread (With Variant for Spotted Do

Yield:
2 Servings

Categories:
Ethnic,
Irish,
Bread




Ingredients:





     6 c  All purpose flour


     2 ts Baking soda


     2 ts Baking powder


     3 tb Cornstarch


     2 ts Sugar


     1 ts Salt


 2 1/2 c  Buttermilk ***





----------------------------ADD
FOR "SPOTTED DOG----------------------------


   1/2 c  Raisins or sultanas





 ***  may substitute 2 1/2 cup water and 10 tablespoons buttermilk powder.


 


 Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.


 


 Add all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well. (If


 making Spotted Dog variant, then add raisins.) Pour all of the buttermilk


 into the bowl at once and stir, using a wooden spoon, just until a soft


 dough is formed.  Do not try to make it smooth at this point. Pour the


 contents of the bowl out onto a plastic counter and knead for a minute or


 so until everything comes together. You may need to add a bit more flour


 depending on humidity.  The dough should be smooth, not sticky.


 


 Divide the dough into two portions and shape each into a round loaf,


 pressing the top down a bit to just barely flatten it. Place the loaves on


 a large ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle some additional flour on the top


 of each loaf and, using a sharp paring knife, make the sign of the Cross in


 slashes on the top of each.


 


 Allow the loaves to rest for 10 minutes and then bake on the middle rack of


 the oven for 40 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and done to


 taste.


 


 Cool on racks.


 


 Adapted from: The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors, by Jeff Smith.


 Entered by Dale & Gail Shipp, Columbia Md. Personal comment: a close Irish


 friend gives her stamp of approval on this as being an authentic Irish soda


 bread.  She supplied the "Spotted Dog" variant.


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini