You’ll love this Irish Soda Bread that’s easy to prepare and comes together in about an hour. It's dense, slightly sweet and rich with great texture. It's baked in a Dutch oven which produces an incredibly delicious loaf.Don't have a Dutch oven pot? No worries. You can bake this on a baking sheet.
Preheat oven 450°F if using Dutch oven or 400°F if using a baking sheet.
If using a Dutch oven, position the oven rack to the lower third of the oven. If using a baking sheet, position to middle position.
If making your own buttermilk, do so now. Just add 1 ½ tablespoons into a measuring cup then fill it with milk to make 1 ½ cups.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
Cut in butter using fingers, fork or pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal. Add in the currants or raisins and mix to coat and distribute.
Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs with the buttermilk together in the measuring cup.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the buttermilk while using a fork or spatula to mix in the flour.
Sprinkle counter or board with the ¼ cup of dusting flour.
Transfer dough onto counter or board and gather together to form round loaf. Dough will be sticky but the additional flour should be enough to form dough into a round loaf. You don’t have to knead the dough, rather gather it together to form a round. You may not need all of the flour and that’s okay.
Cut an X across the top with a sharp knife or your scraper. Be careful not to cut too deep.
Place onto a piece of parchment and transfer into a 4.5-quart Dutch oven and cover. You could also use a 5.5-quart Dutch oven if that's what you have and just check after 40 minutes. If using a baking sheet, just transfer it onto a baking sheet.
IF USING A DUTCH OVEN:
Make sure your oven is preheated to 450°F. Bake covered for 25 minutes then remove cover and bake for another 20 - 25 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.
IF USING BAKING SHEET:
Make sure your oven is preheated to 400°F. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes. Allow bread to cool before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature slathered with sweet cream butter. Enjoy.
Notes
This bread freezes well. Wrap tightly in plastic then wrap in foil. To defrost, let sit out or warm in oven.Recipe can be halved. I've made a half recipe and baked it in my toaster oven on the baking sheet sized to fit into toaster oven.