Recipe for white whole wheat Irish soda bread with golden raisins
First of all, I know. I know that real Irish soda bread doesn't have raisins, because my friend Lucia, who grew up in Ireland, told me so. I'm writing this while Lucia is visiting her parents, in Ireland, and believe me, the bread is so good that it will be all gone by the time she gets back. White whole wheat flour makes this loaf a bit more crumbly than white flour soda bread, and golden raisins make it sweeter. (You could substitute the more traditional caraway seeds for the raisins.) Nothing tops the flavor of real butter melting on warm bread fresh from the oven; if you're having guests for weekend brunch, treat them to a slice of this Irish soda bread with coffee or tea. It's a lovely way to start the week.
Whole wheat Irish soda bread with golden raisins
From the pantry, you'll need: white whole wheat flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, unsalted butter, raisins, eggs, buttermilk or powdered buttermilk.
Adapted from Yankee's Best New England Recipes, a magazine special. Makes 1 loaf.
Ingredients
3 cups white whole wheat flour, plus extra for work surface
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup buttermilk (I used powdered buttermilk)
1 large egg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat (silicone mat).
In the bowl of a Kitchenaid-type stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and raisins, and stir until just incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add to the dry ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. Lightly flour the countertop, and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Fold over on itself 3 or 4 times. Form into a ball, and place on the baking sheet.
With a sharp knife, cut an "X" in the top of the bread.
Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, and serve with butter or jam.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Irish soda bread
Boston brown bread
Finnish pulla bread
Brazilian cheese bread/pao de queijo
Maple nut bread
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Whole wheat pumpkin muffins with cranberries and walnuts, from Pinch My Salt
Low-sugar and whole wheat zucchini muffins with pecans, from Kalyn's Kitchen
White whole wheat pizza dough, from 101 Cookbooks
White whole wheat biscuits, from Baking Bites
Whole wheat powdered sugar donuts (baked not fried), from Salad in a Jar
Disclosure: The Perfect Pantry earns a few pennies on purchases made through the Amazon.com links in this post. Thank you for supporting this site when you start your shopping here.
I love Irish Soda bread! It was something I made every year for my dad.
Kalyn, soda bread was the first bread I ever learned how to bake. I love this variation with white whole wheat flour.
Hi Lydia, Ive seen several recipes for Irish soda bread but have yet to try making it myself. I like the idea of the risins so will try this recipe....thanks for sharing it.
Irish Soda Bread is a staple around here. But, I haven't made it with white whole wheat flour. I will be trying it soon. Usually I make it the traditional way with caraway but I do add raisins at times. I also use dried cranberries or dried cherries. The children love it for breakfast with the dried fruit.
Anna, soda bread is an easy bread, no yeast, and you can mix it in a bowl. Hope you'll give it a try.
Pam, the white whole wheat flour gets more whole grains in, and that's one of my goals for this year. It's a bit more crumbly than traditional soda bread, but absolutely delicious.
Like your healthier version of Irish soda bread. I would guess it tastes even better than regular soda bread with the whole wheat flour.
Jeanette, I love breads baked with white whole wheat. I feel virtuous when I eat them, and the texture is lighter than regular whole wheat flour.
I'm saving this recipe for St. Patrick's Day. Or maybe sooner. ;-)
Recipe bookmarked! Its looks too good to skip.
Paz, please don't wait until March! You'll love this bread right now, and it's very easy to make.
Baker Street, this is definitely a warm-from-the-oven bread, and I think you'll like it.
We adore Irish soda bread, and I really should make it more often than just once a year. Using the white whole wheat flour is such a great substitute, I'll have to give that a try.
Andrea, the white whole wheat does make the bread a bit more dense, but it's an easy substitute to get more whole grain into the bread, and well worth it.
About the raisins, we spent 3 weeks in Carrickmacross about an hour outside Dublin. We had soda bread with and without raisins, made with white flour or whole wheat or a combination. I suppose it varies with the region, or just personal taste, like the way the Brits drink their tea! I've found there isn't one proper British way, altho I wouldn't argue with the natives! I love Irish Soda bread however it comes, and it is so easy. I'm making some tonight with a big crock pot of soup.