Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, we have Irish soda bread. It’s an easy bread – no yeast, no rising. And it even tastes good without butter. I don’t know how well it goes with green beer. The original recipe came from Have Your Cake and Eat It Too.
Irish Soda Bread
Butter flavor (or regular) cooking spray
4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup seedless raisins (I used golden raisins)
½ cup dried currants
1 large egg (I used egg substitute)
1 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons non-fat buttermilk (I used low fat buttermilk)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Dust with flour and tap out excess flour.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and use your fingertips to work it into the flour until it is in very small flakes and no large lumps remain. Be patient. Stir in raisins and currants. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Reserve one tablespoon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and remaining beaten egg. Blend ingredients thoroughly with a wooden spoon; do not over beat. Dough will be sticky.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with floured hands for 2-3 minutes. The dough will be neither wet nor dry to the touch. The surface will be bumpy. Add a little more flour if necessary. Form the dough into a ball about 8 inches in diameter. Set the dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross about ½ inch deep in the top of the bread. I forgot to do this, and I think it made the bread heavier. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the loaf with reserved egg. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the bread is well-risen and golden brown on top, and a long skewer inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool on a wire rack, and wrap in an airtight bag to store. Cut in wedges to serve. Makes 16 servings at 2 grams of fat/serving
The Perpetual Feast 
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