Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour, sifted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ pound butter

1 cup raisins, optional

½ cup caraway seeds, optional

2 eggs

1⅓ cup buttermilk*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Add butter and use pastry blender to work into flour until it is course. Add raisins or caraway seeds. Combine lightly beaten eggs and buttermilk and stir into flour mixture. Mixture will be very sticky. Turn out on a floured board and shape into a rounded loaf. Bake in a 9 inch round layer cake pan that has been greased, for 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick, if not done reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes or until done. Let bread cool for about 15 minutes and turn out to cool on wire rack.

*To make buttermilk, put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in measuring cup and fill to  1⅓ cups with whole milk.

Home