Irish Soda Bread
I wanted to duplicate Panera's Irish Soda Bread and sought high and low to try to do it. This recipe comes from the Grand Central Bakery in Portland, Oregon. I added more currants and sifted powdered sugar on top. It's delicious!
I wanted to duplicate Panera's Irish Soda Bread and sought high and low to try to do it. This recipe comes from the Grand Central Bakery in Portland, Oregon. I added more currants and sifted powdered sugar on top. It's delicious!
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- egg wash
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups currants
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter cold
- 1 cup & 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- Carbohydrate 29.8372265079314 g
- Cholesterol 34.50984375 mg
- Fat 9.25445335413831 g
- Fiber 1.47902478752904 g
- Protein 3.85733011419917 g
- Saturated Fat 5.60548916391178 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (61g)
- Sodium 113.357687279388 mg
- Sugar 28.3582017204024 g
- Trans Fat 0.76171887027425 g
- Calories 217 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl with high sides or the bowl of stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Stir in the caraway seeds, orange zest and currants.
- Dice the butter into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Use your hands or the paddle attachment of the stand mixer on low speed to blend the butter into dry ingredients until the texture becomes mealy.
- If you want to finish baking the soda bread the next day, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight, otherwise proceed with the recipe.
- Add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk at once, mixing just until the dough comes together, 30-35 seconds.
- Scrape the bottom and the sides to incorporate dry ingredients, then stir in enough buttermilk to bring the dough together.
- You may have buttermilk left over.
- Try not to over handle the dough.
- Just enough to incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 2 chunks.
- Gently shape the chunks into domed disks and score each one into quarters.
- (I made 2 elongated loaves with a single score down the middle.)
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush liberally with the egg wash (1 egg, 1 Tablespoons water, and pinch of salt whisked all together).
- Bake for 30-35 minutes rotating the pan half way through the baking time.
- The soda bread should be shiny and golden brown.
- When cool sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
The Critical Window for Dairy and Heat
Timing dictates the structure of this loaf the moment cold buttermilk meets flour. Because chemical leaveners react immediately upon contact with moisture and heat, the oven must be preheated to 350 degrees before the wet ingredients touch the dry mixture. Working quickly during the 30-to-35 second mixing phase prevents gluten development from toughening the crumb, ensuring that the butter pockets melt into tender layers rather than releasing their moisture too early. Incorporating the buttermilk in stages allows the flour to hydrate evenly without requiring excessive kneading, which would otherwise deactivate the baking soda and baking powder before the dough reaches the oven.
Texture and Overnight Staging
Dicing the cold unsalted butter into exact half-inch cubes creates the mealy texture necessary for a flaky interior once baked. Bakers who need to manage their schedule can halt the process after blending the fat by wrapping the bowl in plastic and chilling the mixture overnight without harming the chemical agents. Rotating the baking sheet halfway through the 30-to-35 minute baking time guarantees uniform browning across both domed disks. Once the loaves emerge shiny and golden brown, letting them cool completely prevents the powdered sugar dusting from dissolving into a sticky glaze upon contact with residual heat.
