The Best Cardamom Irish Soda Bread
Traditional soda bread is fast (less than an hour), rustic, and delicious. What the best cardamon Irish soda bread tastes like is hearty, slightly tangy and sweet, crumbly, and biscuit-like. This recipe has golden raisins, dried cranberries, and a touch of cardamom.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk*
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2-1 cup raisins and dried cranberries
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter**
Instructions
- Prepare a 10" cast-iron skillet by coating the bottom and sides with oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. White flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and sugar.
- Slice the cold butter into small chunks and work it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two forks.
- Combine the egg and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients, raisins, and dried cranberries to the large bowl with the dry ingredients and mix. I love how this Danish dough whisk makes it come together with minimal effort.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently work the dough into a nice round loaf. Only add enough flour to make it come together.
- 6. Place the dough in the prepared skillet and make an X across the top of the loaf.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Cover with foil if the top is becoming too brown.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting- use a sharp serrated knife.
Notes
* To make a buttermilk substitute or to sour milk - take the juice of half a lemon or a tablespoon of lemon juice and put it into a measuring glass. Fill up to the correct measurement with whole milk and wait about 5 minutes for it to curdle. White vinegar is ok to use instead of lemon.
** If using salted butter, reduce the salt to 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon.
-Brown sugar is fine to substitute for the white sugar.
-You can use a Dutch oven without the lid or line baking sheet with parchment paper. However, I find that a heavy-bottomed cast iron pan or skillet works better with more even heating.
Servings: 1 round loaf