Recipe - Saint Patricks Day Irish Soda Bread

4 cup Unbleached flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
One fourth cup Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Cardamom
One fourth cup Butter
1 Egg, at room temperature
1 Three fourths cup Buttermilk, at room
temperature
1 One half cup Currants

Cut this crusty bread in wedges to serve. Add two teaspoons grate lemon
peel to complement the flavor of the currants.

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cut in the butter with
a pastry blender or work it in with your finger. Mix the egg and buttermilk
together and then add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until well
blended. Add the currants and stir the mixture well. Turn out on a floured
surface and knead gently for 3 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Divide
the dough into two pieces, shaping each into a round loaf.

Place each in a greased 8 inch cake or pie pan,pressing it down until the
dough fills the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut a One half inch deep cross on top
of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for about 40 minutes or until
the bread sounds hollow when you thump it. Turn out on a wire rack to cool.
Do not cut for about 4 hours. Makes 2 loaves.

Origin: Hearth and Home Companion Shared by: Sharon Stevens

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini