Easy Baking: Irish Soda Bread

This easy-to-make bread, named for the baking soda you mix with the flour and buttermilk to make the bread rise, is good any time of year, but it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day because it's considered to be the bread of Ireland. I make it almost every year for my Irish husband. Occasionally, I will buy smoked salmon and Irish cheeses to serve along with it. However, most of the time we eat it with sweet butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It will stay fresh for up to two days.

No special equipment is needed, not even a bread pan. The soda bread bakes up crusty on the outside, moist on the inside. As always, use the freshest ingredients.

4 cups all-purpose or bread flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and have ready a lightly floured baking sheet.

Place the flour in a large bowl with the baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix together with a fork. Pour in the buttermilk and raisins. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until everything comes together. Knead the ball on a floured board for a few seconds and then put the dough on the baking sheet.

Cut a deep cross on the top, all the way down the sides. This lets the bread rise evenly. Bake at 425 degrees about 45 minutes or until it's nicely browned and it sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom. Place the baked bread on a rack to cool or slice immediately.