(Barely) Irish Soda Bread

The irish soda bread that showed up at a staff meeting last week was a pale and dense crumbly sort of thing. It easily lasted through the meeting, and through the next day, and the next, sitting out on the conference room table.

This bastardized version of soda bread, made buttermilk and citrus zest and (well, why not) cranberries when I ran out of raisins, suffered no such sad fate.

Skillet Irish Soda Bread

adapted from the NYTimes, by way of Smitten Kitchen

1/4 cup salted butter, melted

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a(n at least 10 inch diameter) skillet with parchment paper. This skillet needs to go in the oven, so make sure the handle can take the temperature. Cast iron is best.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, and half the melted butter (1/8 cup). Pour wet into dry and mix just until wet. Don't overmix. Add the raisins and cranberries, and stir to distribute the dried fruit.

Turn the batter into the lined skillet, and brush the top with the remaining melted butter. Bake for about 1 hour, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, the top is golden brown and hard to the touch.