Irish Soda Bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk (or substitute vinegar + whole milk) and egg. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients together. Add the cold butter and cut into the dough with a pastry cutter* until pea-sized. The mixture should be mostly flour at this point.

*Cutting butter into flour is a technique that involves breaking the cold butter into smaller flour-coated pieces. A common tool used to do this is a pastry cutter. If you don’t have one of those, you can use two forks or even your hand to get the same effect.

Add in the raisins and egg/buttermilk mixture. Fold the dough gently until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until just combined. If the dough becomes sticky (and it probably will be), add flour a tablespoon at a time and continue kneading until combined. Form into a round loaf shape.

Place the loaf on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Using a sharp knife, cut an X shape into the top of the loaf about 1/2″ deep. Whisk a large egg and add approximately 1/4 cup of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash onto the bread and dust the top of the loaf with 1 Tbsp of sugar.

Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack before cutting into it. Cover leftovers in the fridge for 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.