Ingredients
1 and 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled), plus more for your hands and counter
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3 Tablespoons herbs (whatever ones you would like to use: rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme) or raisins
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. You can use a baking sheet with parchment paper, 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, or a dutch oven.
Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers.
Mixture is very heavy on flour, but do your best to cut in the butter until the butter is pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins or herbs. Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough is too stiff to stir. Pour crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can, then knead for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan. Using a very sharp knife, score an X into the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45 minutes.
Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top. I usually place foil on top halfway through bake time.
Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature or toasted with desired toppings/spreads.
Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. We usually wrap it tightly in aluminum foil for storing.
For an additional recipe click on the link to an Irish Soda Bread using yogurt.
https://www.thriftingwonderland.com/post/real-irish-soda-bread
Try either of these recipes and enjoy!