Soda Bread

  I posted a couple times last year about my baking, and this will be my first time posting a recipe that i use. St. Patrick's day is just behind us and was hoping to get this out before the day had passed but had forgotten about it, but better late than never. In the theme of St. Patrick's day i made a few loaves of Irish Soda Bread, not traditional Irish Soda Bread but more of what most Americans are used to.

Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups raisins
• 2  tablespoon caraway seeds
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup  sour cream

Place 9 inch cast iron skillet or a 9 inch round cake pan in your oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl beat eggs and brown sugar together.  Blend in buttermilk and sour cream blend, mix to desired consistency.

Add 4 cups of flour , baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds, mix until dough is sticky.  Add 1/2 cup of flour and knead in bowl about 10-12 strokes.

Put about 1/4 cup of flour of a surface, remove dough from bowl and put on floured surface, add another 1/4 cup of flour to the top of dough and knead till no longer sticky.

Remove skillet/pan from the preheated oven, and grease sides and bottom. Transfer dough to skillet Carefully pushing the dough down to fill the skillet/pan. Cut a X slit into the top. Optional brush with a simple egg wash for a shine.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 65 to 75 minutes, until tapping the crust produces a knocking sound. Let cool and turn bread onto a wire rack.