Hi, friends!
Today is the last day of February which means Saint Patrick’s Day is right at the door! How do you usually celebrate it? When we lived in Naples, FL only 15 minutes away from my in laws’ house, we celebrated it with them. My in laws host this big party every year and friends who live across the country fly in to FL just to attend it. It’s THAT fun! My father-in-law makes the most delicious corned beef and cabbage and my mother-in-law makes her amazing Soda Bread. Good times! I terribly miss living close to them!
Have you ever tried Irish Soda bread? I was first introduced to this bread by my mother-in-law who was born and raised in Belfast. Of course I fell in love with it simply because I absolutely love raisins! She makes the best Soda Bread ever! Unfortunately, I can’t share her secret recipe here, but I can share this one my awesome husband used to make mini ones for my shoot. They turned out so super delicious I had to ask my husband to make extra ones or I would end up with no bread for the set up!
Don’t they look yummy?
You can serve it with butter or favorite jam. So good! They also make great take-home gifts!
Here’s the recipe:
Prep Time: 15 minutes Bake time: 1 hour Yield: 1 loaf
- 4 cups of flour
- 1/3 cup of sugar + 1/2 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 cup of butter milk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of melted butter (for brushing on top)
- 1/2 cup of raisins
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup of sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and softened butter. Mix in the buttermilk and egg until dough starts to form, then fold in raisins. If dough is still crumbly, add a splash of buttermilk until it comes together.
- Knead dough on a floured surface. Form into a round loaf. Note: I made 12 small round loaves
- Brush the top of the loaf with 1/4 cup of melted butter then sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of sugar on top.
- Cut an X into the top of the loaf using a sharp knife.
- Bake for 1 hour. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center and checking to see that it comes out clean. If the loaf is too thick, the center might take longer to bake. Simply place some foil over the top of the loaf and continue baking until done.
Stay tuned! We will be sharing more fun ideas for Saint Patrick’s Day including party/entertaining ideas, freebies and tutorials!
xoxo,
Andressa