When former RealSimple.com managing editor Brenda Dargan-Levy sent over her mom’s recipe for Irish Soda bread (with caveats). It looked like this:
Ingredients
3 cups of flour¼ cup sugar3 teaspoons of baking powder⅛ teaspoon baking soda½ stick of margarine1 egg1½ cups of raisins1 to 2 cups buttermilk (gauge moisture of mixture)
Like so many heirloom recipes, Dargan-Levy offered a simple list of ingredients without a method, the particulars of execution assumed, yet only really known by family elders. Indeed, there are so many versions and variations of the recipe. According to Dargan-Levy, some people might not even consider this to be a traditional soda bread because it contains white flour and raisins. So we took that as permission to modify the recipe ourselves, and swapped in butter for the margarine (simply because that’s what we had in the kitchen), added ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds. Then, feeling inspired, we divided the dough into smaller portions to make mini Irish Soda Bread, as they’re nice for sharing and appropriate for year-round enjoyment.
Directions
Big or small, this traditional Irish Soda Bread—slathered with salted Kerrygold butter and served alongside a perfect cup of tea—is an excellent way to mark St. Patrick’s Day. For a riff on the real thing, try our recipe for Irish soda bread with cheddar and dill. Just don’t skip the butter.
