Irish soda bread with homemade butter

Ingredients

• 450 g flour (pastry flour yields a softer loaf, but all-purpose flour works great, too)
• 30 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 25 g butter, chilled and diced
• 100 g raisins or currants
• 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 350 ml buttermilk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 pint heavy cream
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   For the Bread

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. 3

   Whisk together the flour: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds.

4. 4

   Pour in half the buttermilk and gently stir with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining buttermilk and stir until just combined—avoid overmixing, as this will make the bread tough.

5. 5

   Transfer the dough to a cast-iron skillet and gently press it into a round loaf shape. Use a chef’s knife to score a cross into the top of the loaf, then brush all over with the beaten egg.

6. 6

   Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown. To check for doneness, flip the loaf over and tap the bottom—it should sound hollow.

7. 7

   Wrap the warm loaf in a clean tea towel while it cools to keep the crust from hardening too much.

8. 8

   Serve with homemade butter.

9. 9

   For the Butter: Pour the heavy cream into the Splendor Blender and blend until it passes the whipped cream stage. Continue blending until the buttermilk fully separates from the butter solids.

10. 10

    Strain through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess buttermilk—save it for drinking or baking.

11. 11

    Rinse the butter under cold tap water, gently pat dry with a clean tea towel, and mix in salt to taste.

12. 12

    Note: Fresh butter isn’t cultured, so it has a shorter shelf life. Store it in the refrigerator.