Irish Soda Bread Raisin Caraway (Printable Version)
Tender Irish quick bread with golden crust, sweet raisins, and aromatic caraway seeds offers rich flavors.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
→ Flavorings
05 - 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
06 - 1 cup raisins
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
08 - 1 large egg, lightly beaten
09 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and caraway seeds until well blended.
03 - Stir in the raisins, ensuring they are evenly coated with flour mixture.
04 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, beaten egg, and melted butter until combined.
05 - Create a well in the center of dry ingredients. Pour in wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead 5–8 times just until it comes together. Shape into a round loaf about 7–8 inches across.
07 - Transfer loaf to prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep X across the top of the loaf.
08 - Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Tent with foil after 25 minutes if top browns too quickly.
09 - Let bread cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing to preserve texture.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The raisins plump up beautifully during baking, creating little pockets of sweetness throughout each slice
- That signature caraway flavor makes every bite feel like an embrace from someone who's been baking this for generations
02 -
- Overworking the dough develops gluten and makes the bread tough, so stop mixing the moment everything comes together
- The deep cross cut isn't just tradition, it allows the heat to penetrate the center of this dense loaf
03 -
- Weighing flour instead of using cup measures gives you consistent results every time, as flour can compact differently depending on how you scoop
- The bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, a trick older than most of our kitchen gadgets