A cherished family recipe, this traditional soda bread has a crusty exterior, a dense, tender crumb, a soft, biscuity texture, and just a touch of sweetness.
Preheat oven to 340° | 171°C. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cast iron skillet, 9-inch round baking pan, or heavy standard loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, and melted butter. Whisk in beaten eggs.
Fold the flour mixture into the liquid mixture, mixing just until well combined. Using a spatula, knead the dough against the side of the bowl for 10 to 15 strokes. The dough will be sticky, somewhat like a thick biscuit dough.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mound the dough in the prepared pie dish or loaf pan. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter with 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Brush the mounded dough-loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp, wet knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.
This step is optional, but the “rest” time will result in a loftier loaf: Allow dough to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes before putting into oven.
Bake the soda bread in a preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Brush the loaf with the buttermilk-butter mixture once or twice during baking.
Test loaf for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center – it should come out clean.An instant read thermometer will read 195°-200°F | 90°C | 93°C when the bread is ready to take out of the oven. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Turn bread onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
DO NOT use an electric mixer for this recipe.This soda bread recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda. This is because there is an acid (buttermilk) in the recipe to activate the baking soda, but that chemical reaction alone isn’t enough to give the bread the lift it needs.Since too much baking soda can give foods a metallic taste, it is better to add a little baking powder to achieve the desired lift.