Traditional Irish Soda Bread

This bread is rich and tender thanks to a good amount of butter and lots of tangy buttermilk. It’s best served warm, slathered with butter.

4 cups all-purpose flour

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

11⁄2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons cold butter or margarine, cut into pieces

11⁄2 cups buttermilk

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet.
• In large bowl, with wire whisk, stir flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk just until flour is moistened (dough will be sticky).
• Turn dough onto well-floured surface; with lightly floured hands, knead 8 to 10 times to mix. (Do not overknead, or bread will be tough.) Shape into ball; place on prepared cookie sheet.
• Dust dough lightly with flour. With serrated knife or single-edge razor blade, in center, cut an X 4 inches long and about 1⁄4 inch deep. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer loaf to wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices.

Prep: 15 minutes

Bake: 1 hour