Spotted Dog Irish Bread Recipes

Steps:

• 1. I wanted to make an easy bread to go with the Braised Steaks, from ingredients that I already had on hand. This recipe worked perfectly. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• 2. Measure flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add salt, baking soda, sugar & 1 whole egg.
• 3. With one hand gradually begin to work flour into center from sides of bowl.
• 4. Then add buttermilk, drained raisins, and continue to add more flour into mix.
• 5. Dough should be soft and pliable but not stickey. Knead bread and shape into a 1 1/2 inch size tall ball.
• 6. Place in a greased cast iron skillet. MY CHOICE, ORIGINAL RECIPE DID NOT SAY TO GREASE SKILLET.
• 7. Cut a deep cross about 1 1/2 inch deep with a serrated knife into top of bread. I CHOSE TO SPRAY TOP WITH NON STICK COOKING SPRAY.
• 8. Bake in preheated 450 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Then Lower temperature to 400 Degrees F. and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until bread sounds hallow when tapped on bottom.
• 9. Remove from oven. I CHOSE TO BRUSH TOP OF BREAD WITH BUTTER. Used an electric knife to slice bread into thick hearty slices.
• 10. Smear butter over sliced bread while still warm if desired. MY HUSBAND LOVED THIS BREAD, said it tasted similiar to Irish soda bread. It is similiar but only made with one type of flour instead of two. NOTE: I DID COVER MY RAISINS IN WATER & HEATED THEM IN MICROWAVE FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, TO ADD A LITTLE MORE MOISTURE TO THE BREAD.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. In a large bowl, mix together flours, soda, salt and brown sugar. Swish mixture around with your hands to distribute salt and soda through the bread. Add raisins and toss mixture together to coat raisins with flour.
• Beat egg and place in a measuring cup. Add buttermilk; the liquid in the cup should measure about 1 3/4 cups.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour egg/buttermilk mixture into the well. Working from the center of the bowl in concentric clockwise circles, with fingers outstretched, stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. (You can use a rubber spatula instead if you don't like getting dough on your hands.) This should take about a half a minute at most. Dough will be sticky and ragged.
• Dust your work surface with flour, clean and dry your hands and dust with flour. Scrape out dough and very quickly and gently pat it into a 1 1/2- to 2-inch-high round and tuck the bottom edges under. (Alternatively, place in a lightly buttered 10-inch round cake pan.) Place on parchment-covered baking sheet. Moisten a knife and cut a deep cross across top of bread.
• Place in oven and immediately turn the heat down to 400 degrees. Bake 40 minutes, until the loaf is dark brown and makes a hollow sound when tapped. Remove from oven, wrap loosely in a kitchen towel (to soften the crust) and place on a rack to cool.