Irish Blessings and Spotted Dog ~

Dear Friends,

Here is Granny Violet's Irish Soda Bread. My darling husband and I are both of Irish descent and and have made this and "Irish Spotted Dog". True Irish bread doesn't have raisins , sugar , zest or honey. So as my husband's Granny use to say " do you want Spotted dog or the real thing?" I will include both recipes as the Spotted Dog with raisins is great.

Granny Violet's Irish Soda Bread


4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 cups buttermilk (or use regular milk combined with 2 teaspoons white or cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a baking sheet or cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, and soda, then stir in the raisins, if desired. Add enough buttermilk to make a soft bread that you can knead.

3. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it briefly. Shape it into a round loaf and place it on the baking sheet. Cut a cross in the top of the loaf with a single-edged razor blade or a very sharp floured knife.

4. Bake for about 35 minutes.Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Will make 1 loaf.

Irish Spotted Dog

2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

3 tablespoons of butter

2/3 cup of buttermilk

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup of raisins

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a bowl stir together flour, salt, sugar, soda, baking powder and raisins.

In a separate bowl beat buttermilk, egg and butter.

Stir together moist and dry ingredients. Knead as above . Place in mound on greased cookie sheet . Cut a cross into top as above. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Irish soda bread is best eaten the day it is made.

Love,

Angel Mama ():)