Recipe corner: Irish soda bread

By Grandma’s Best-Loved Recipes
Submitted by Mary Bailey

This easy bread recipe is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspooon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup raisins or currants

1 egg

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease large baking sheet; set aside. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl. Stir in caraway seeds. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in raisins. Beat egg in medium bowl using fork. Add buttermilk; beat until well combined. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir until mixture forms a soft dough that clings together and forms a ball.

Turn dough out onto well-floured surface. Knead dough gently 10 to 12 times. Place dough on prepared baking sheet. Pat dough into 7-inch round. Score top of dough with top of sharp knife, making an “X” about 4 inches long and 1/4 inch deep.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.

Bread is best eaten the day it is made.