Mmm- Do you smell that Irish Soda bread?!

So, we all know that St. Patty's Day is over, but have no fear..... this is one recipe you'll be wanting to make ALL year round.

Let me start by sharing what holiday's are at our house. They are a big deal, not a "paint our faces and our lawns" kind of a big deal, but more like a " all food and fun on this day MUST remind us that today is not just a normal day.... it's a holiday!" kind of a big deal.

I've trained my kids well, and they expect their food on any given holiday to scream "It's a holiday!" Personally, I like St Patty's Day as it's a great way to squeeze in more green veggies. If they moan or gripe as I bring out the plate of crisp green bell pepper, all sliced up to resemble shamrocks, I get to respond something like, "It's a holiday isn't it??!" They usually sigh and then happily much away on whatever green goodness i have just placed before them.

I tend to make the usual fare every year, but this year via Pinterest I decided to shake things up around here a bit. I've tried Soda bread out of a bag and a box, but never made this kind of bread from scratch.Since Spring Break is close, (and I've watched enough award shows to know that all the big stars go carb-free to look their best) so I've been sticking to a limited carb diet in hopes of shedding a few last minute pesky pounds before I have to debut my Michigan white as snow skin. But after I saw this recipe on Cakespy and it looked SO easy and delicious I had to try it. It turned out scrumptious. So good in fact, that my family had gobbled up the entire loaf in less than 30 minutes, slice after slice, I watched that loaf sit on the stove and get smaller and smaller.

This recipe is a keeper! I baked it on a baking stone, and didn't knead it at all! Seriously. My family is already begging for me to make it again. Crisp, slight sweet and chewy on the inside. Bonus! It's smells great while baking!

Here's the recipe:

Irish Soda Bread to make again an again

• 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 Tbsp butter, cubed
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Using clean fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour, mixing until it resembles a coarse meal, then stir in the raisins.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the beaten egg and buttermilk into the well, and combine with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir. Dust your hands with flour, then gently pour dough onto baking stone.  Take a little more flour and use it to pat the dough into a ball. Your bread could become tough if you over-work it. The dough will be a little sticky, like biscuit dough.
3. .Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. 
4. Bake until the bread is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a long, wooden skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, it's done. If the crust gets too dark while baking, tent the bread with aluminum foil. Serve warm.