"My mother-in-law was born in Ireland and this is her recipe, which was only shared with the family. My husband would make 20 loaves for St. Patrick's Day to give to friends but he would never give the recipe. When asked for it, he would make the person a loaf and tell them that the recipe was a secret. Now that both he and his mother have passed, I think she would like to share it. I make 4 loaves each year for our church bake sale. They sell for $17.00 each and people come to the early mass just to get one."
Method for Irish Bread
- 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
- 2Pour hot water over raisins and currants in a bowl and let soak. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl until well combined; whisk in buttermilk.
- 3Drain raisins and currants and pat dry with paper towels; fold into dough. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently until it holds its shape; if dough is too sticky, knead in more flour. Form into a round and place into prepared cast iron skillet. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the top of the loaf.
- 4Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a slender knife inserted into the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup dried currants
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
December 20, 2016
