Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread

Posted by Michele at 10:51 AM

Nothing says Happy Saint Patrick's Day (or Happy St. Brigid's Day... or Happy St. Clare's Day... or, well, any day really!) like Irish Soda Bread (or, as it was known in my house, "bread").  Whether you make it as a bread to accompany dinner and go sans fruit or you make it the traditional way with dried fruit galore, there is nothing better than a slice of warm soda bread topped with a melting pat of butter... Yum!

Heat your oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together:
4 cups Gluten Free Flour (if you aren't GF, feel free to use regular All Purpose... My favorite GF is the Wegman's blend of AP.  It works like a dream.)
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, dates, currants.... whatever makes you happy!)

Let your flour mixture sit while you heat and melt
1/2 cup (1 full stick) of butter
Let the butter cool but still remain warm.

Put a whole in the flour mixture and pour in
2 cups of buttermilk
2 eggs
the melted butter from above
Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix until sticky.   (At this point, because I rarely measure and sometimes add too much buttermilk- as if that is possible- I sprinkle in enough flour until the mixture is tacky.  It should be able to be taken out in large spoonfuls and make a pile on the cookie sheet, so not runny, but it can't be too stiff or "bread like" or it will cook up dry.)

This recipe allows me to make 2 rectangular piles and 2 circular piles, but you can make one big loaf or a bunch of small ones.  It's to you.  Pile the batter on a greased cookie sheet (it will spread out so keep that in mind if you are putting more than one loaf on a pan).

Bake at 375 for half an hour, then turn the heat off and let it sit for another 5 minutes before removing.  Cool on wax paper until you can slice and pick up a piece without burning your fingers, then lather on the butter and enjoy!