Martha's Irish Soda Bread

MARTHA’S IRISH SODA BREAD

A must-have bread for your St. Patrick’s Day meal!

Prep Time: 15 min.

Total Time: 1 hr. 25 min.

Makes: 1 loaf


INGREDIENTS

  • 1 â…“ cups whole milk
  • â…“ cup apple-cider vinegar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
  • 2 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
  • ¼ cup caraway seeds
  • 1 cup (5 ounces) raisins
  • Salted butter, preferably Irish, for serving


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven, prep baking sheet, and add vinegar to milk:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl, and let stand until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Combine dry ingredients:

Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.

3. Add butter:

Cut in unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

4. Add bran, seeds, and raisins:

Add bran, caraway seeds, and raisins; stir to distribute.

5. Add milk to flour mixture:

Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; stir until dough just holds together but is still sticky.

6. Shape bread:

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat and press the dough gently into a round, dome-shaped loaf, about 7 inches in diameter. Transfer to prepared sheet. Lightly dust top of loaf with flour. With a sharp knife, cut an X into the top, 3/4 inch deep.

7. Bake:

Bake, rotating halfway through, until loaf is golden brown, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

This is best served the day it’s baked, but it can also be made up to two days in advance. Store whole, at room temperature, in a sealed bag or wrapped in parchment paper.


Recipe by Martha Stewart, as part of the Growing with Martha Stewart partnership.