Eat Me, I’m Irish Soda Bread

Yum.

I LOVE our KitchenAid mixer.  Brett and I use to joke that we already had the house and kids so the only reason to traditionally marry was in the hopes someone would buy us this mixer as a wedding present.  We formally said our “I dos” last October and thanks to the generous gifts of friends and family, were able to afford this kitchen staple.  Yeah marriage!

I have been so busy creating healthy muffins and perfecting butter-cream frosting that I’ve neglected one of it’s greatest assets (according to online reviews), the dough hook.  Now, bread and I have yet to find our happy place.  My breads seem to always fall flat or come out too paste-y and I just haven’t had the time to conquer the more complex recipes.

So, as I was flipping through The Mixer Bible I noticed this recipe for Irish Soda Bread.  No yeast mentioned, no chemistry kit required, simple ingredients, with even simpler directions.  With St. Patrick’s Day just days away, this was exactly what I was looking for.  The recipe is great and the outcome is delicious; my friendliest bread creation yet: dense, yet flavourful with a little bit of a sweet kick from the fruit. Ideal for snacking with a little butter or scooping soup and stew with.

Edie helped me mix the ingredients and she “painted” the dough balls with butter while I started dinner.  45 minutes later we were enjoying our bread masterpiece together.  I recommend everyone try an Irish Soda Bread, even if you don’t have a mixer you  can use a hand mixer to blend and knead the dough with your hands.  Pair it with my Broccoli Soup or a Guinness Steak Stew, it’s a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and ‘da Irish all year round.

Edie shows her love for our mixer.

Irish Soda Bread
Original recipe courtesy The Mixer Bible 2nd Edition
Makes two 6-inch loaves

Note: I used a combination of dried cranberries and raisins but you can use 1 cup of currants or experiment with your favourite dried fruits.

Ingredients:

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into mixer bowl.  Using the flat beater, stir and mix in sugar and softened butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add cranberries, raisins and buttermilk; mix until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.

Remove the flat beater and attach the dough hook.  Set to speed 2 and knead until a soft, slightly less sticky dough forms, about 1 minute.

Divide dough in half and form each half into a ball.  Pat each ball into a domed 6-inch round and place on prepared baking sheet, at least 4-inches apart.  Using a sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch deep X into the top of each loaf.  Brush loaves with melted butter.

Bake in middle of preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown, sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Let cool completely on wire racks.

Cut a deep X into the top of each loaf. Brush loaves with melted butter.

Edie "paints" our loaves with butter.

Like a mature donut: crunchy on the outside, chewy dough inside with a slight sweetness from the dried fruit.

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