Irish Soda Bread (sweetened, orange zest, currants)
Recipe courtesy
Ina Garten
FMM: The ingredient list is basically the same as Sally's Baking Addiction, but I found there was way too much liquid. The dough stuck to my hands terribly when trying to knead it, and it was tough getting it into the pan, even using quite a bit more flour, on the counter for kneading and on my hands trying to get the dough off of them. Start next time with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and add more if needed. This was good, but I would like a little more sweetness. Maybe 6 tablespoons instead of 4.
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
[FMM: This is a quick bread and should be mixed by hand, if you ask me. Most recipes do not use a mixer.]
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. [Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the butter is pea-sized crumbs.]
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. [Stir in the currants. Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough is too stiff to stir.]
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. [until the dough forms a smooth ball.] Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife [about 1/2- to 3/4-inch deep]. 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.
[The bread is ready when the center of the X has lost the wet, shiny look of raw dough. You can also insert a cake tester or skewer — it should come out clean.]
Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 1 loaf
