Sweet Irish Soda Bread

This sweet Irish soda bread is nostalgia in a loaf, and I'm obsessed with how incredible my kitchen smells every time I make it! It's fluffy, moist and the raisins make it perfectly sweet.

📝 Ingredients

• 5 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 cups raisins, (mixed light and dark)
• 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
• turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter two 9x5-inch bread pans. Soak the raisins in hot water for 15-20 minutes, then drain well.
2. 2Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut the butter into cubes and mix very thoroughly with the flour, by hand, until it looks grainy. Stir in the drained raisins and caraway seeds.
3. 3Add the buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture. Stir well. The dough should resemble thick cake batter. Equally fill 2 loaf pans. Then sprinkle the top of each with turbinado sugar to make it shimmery.
4. 4Bake for 60-70 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool in the pans for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.