Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (whole milk preferred)

1 TBL fresh lemon juice (or white vinegar if you don’t have lemon)

4 cups all purpose flour

4 TBL unsalted butter, room temperature 

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda (hence “Soda Bread” 😊)

1 large egg

1 orange zested (about 1 TBL)

Directions:

1- Pre-heat oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2- Measure milk into glass measuring cup and add lemon juice. Set aside.

3- Place flour into large mixing bowl. Add room temp butter. Rub butter and flour together with fingers until butter is the size of small peas.

4- Mix sugar, salt and baking soda into flour mixture. Make a well with the flour mixture and set aside.

5- To milk mixture, add orange zest and egg. Mix to combine.

6- Pour milk mixture into the flour well. Stir in circular motion to slowly mix in the flour. 

7- Once most of the liquid is dissolved, use your hands to kneed the dough slightly in the bowl to finish incorporating the flour. 

8- Shape dough into a circle and place on prepared cookie sheet. Cut an “X” on top of the dough.

9- Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes, until outside is browned and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!