Brian Brophys Irish Soda Bread Food

BRIAN BROPHY'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• Toss mixture with hands or wire whisk to make it light and airy.
• Put dry mixture and butter into a food processor and pulse a few times until butter is the size of peas Return to bowl and add raisins and/or caraway seeds if using.
• Beat eggs in a separate bowl, add buttermilk and blend well.
• Pour egg mixture, a little at a time, into dry mixture.
• Blend well with a spoon or spatula.
• Don't overmix.
• Dough should be heavy, but not too wet.
• If too dry, add a little more buttermilk.
• Dust hands with flour and mold dough into a round.
• Place dough into a greased 9" round pan.
• Dust top generously with flour.
• Cut a deep cross into the dough.
• This will prevent the bread from cracking, and it looks traditional.
• Bake at 350°F for one hour, or until well browned and center is not doughy.
• Cool on rack, and serve warm w/butter and jam.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
• With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
• Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
• Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425*F
• Spray a 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
• Slowly add the buttermilk and mix with your hands. Do not use a stand mixer or hand mixer. Simply do this recipe by hand.
• Mix dough until it comes together. Do not over mix the dough.
• Form the dough into a large ball and place in your prepared cake pan.
• Cut an X in the center of the dough, about 1 inch deep to allow steam to release during baking.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until outsides are golden, but not burnt.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
• Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn't ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
• Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices - or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter it lightly, and set it aside.
• Place the caraway seeds on a cutting board and sprinkle with a few drops of water to keep them from sliding around. Use a chef's knife to roughly chop the caraway seeds a bit so that they are not all whole seeds. Place the seeds in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the rye flour, sugar, currants, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed for a few seconds until combined. Cut the butter into 8 to 10 pieces and add it to the flour mixture; paddle for 20 to 30 seconds on low until the butter is somewhat broken down but there are still pieces about the size of grapes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, creme fraiche, and whole egg until thoroughly mixed. With the mixer running on low, pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and paddle for another 10 to 15 seconds, until the dough just comes together. There will probably still be a little loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gather and lift the dough with your hands and turn it over in the bowl so that it starts to pick up the loose flour at the bottom. Turn the dough over several times until all the loose flour is mixed in.
• Dump the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Whisk the egg yolk lightly in a small bowl with a fork. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash evenly over the entire top of the dough. Score the dough into 8 wedges as you would cut a pizza. (At this point the soda bread can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway through the baking time, until the entire circle of soda bread is golden brown and firm when pressed in the center.
• Remove from the oven and immediately smear the butter evenly over the entire top surface. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then slice the soda bread along the scored lines into wedges and serve.

SWEENEY'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Put raisins in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Drain water off raisins.
• Mix sour cream with milk.
• In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
• Add raisins to dry ingredients.
• Add sour cream and milk to dry ingredients.
• Mix until all flour is absorbed (batter will be sticky).
• Place batter in 8 or 9 inch round spring cake pan.
• Cut shape of cross in top to allow steam to escape while baking.
• Bake 1 hour @ 350 degrees.
• Enjoy.