Elle's Kitchen: Spotted Dog

Or Murphy's Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish Soda Bread is only made

with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk,

we always add raisins which technically

makes this Spotted Dog.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 teas. sugar, reserve 1 teas.

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, combine dry

ingredients and add raisins.

In a small bowl, combine 1 1/3 cup

buttermilk and the egg, mix together.

Make a well in the center of the dry

ingredients and pour the wet ingredients

in the center.

Mix ingredients together with your

hands, do not overwork dough. If

dough is very dry add more buttermilk.

Turn out onto a floured board

and work dough together into

a flattened round.

Brush top with buttermilk and

sprinkle with reserved sugar.

Transfer to a baking sheet with a

silicon liner or lined with parchment.

Cut a deep cross in the loaf.

Bake at 375 F. for 35 to 40

minutes, knock on the bottom of the

 loaf, you want it to sound hollow.

Note: It adds an extra bit of Irish magic,

 if you are wearing the Claddaugh ring

your Grandma Murphy gave you for

your 13th birthday.

Allow to cool on a rack, slice and

serve slathered with Irish butter.

Special thanks to the American

Homestead baker and all round

Irish girl, Katie Rose Murphy!