Irene Sullivan's Irish Soda Bread Recipe

The winning recipe from my IRISH SODA BREAD SHOWDOWN.
It's not traditional but I bet you'll LOVE it...

Irene Sullivan's Irish Soda Bread
printable recipe

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup raisins or currants (or less if you want)
1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
a "drop" of oil (approx 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil to make it cake-like)

Directions:
Irene's recipe simply says:
"Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour."

But some of us novice bakers need a little more direction than that
so this is how I prepared it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl
Gently form into a round loaf
Place in a greased 9" round cake pan (alternatively, you could bake it on a sheet pan or cast iron skillet)
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees
(check doneness by inserting a wooden skewer - it should come out clean)




Thanks to Irene Sullivan for sharing this great recipe!

Enjoy!

-Phyllis

Grandma Murphy's Irish Soda Bread

Another great recipe from my IRISH SODA BREAD SHOWDOWN, courtesy of Dan Murphy. This soda bread has a lovely texture with a hint of sweetness. It's also the only soda bread recipe I've come across that uses margarine!

Grandma Murphy's "Soon to be Famous" Irish Soda Bread

printable recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups white flour

1 Tablespoon of salt (you may want to add less salt if your margarine is salted)

1 1/2 level teaspoons of baking soda
1 1/2 level teaspoons of baking powder
pinch of cream of tartar (helps raise the bread)
2 Tablespoons sugar
Whip 1-2 eggs with 1 cup buttermilk
1 full cup raisins
3/4 stick melted margarine

Directions:

Grandma Murphy's recipe says:

"Mix all and adjust for consistency"

"Cook for 45 minutes in a 375 degree preheated oven"

I mixed all the ingredients in a large bowl but I didn't have to adjust the quantities. My baking time was 45 minutes @ 375 degrees (a wooden skewer should come out clean when inserted in the middle).

"Enjoy with Irishmen, Irish tea, whiskey and Guiness!"

Thanks to Dan Murphy for sharing his grandma's secret recipe!

Enjoy!

-Phyllis