Irish Soda Bread

From "Our Daily Bread" by Stella Standard (pub c 1970)

Excellent with butter and marmalade.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup currants
• 3 Tbsp Irish whiskey (optional; for St. Patrick’s day!)
• 3 cups sifted flour—soft whole wheat or all-purpose
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel (optional)
• 2 tsp caraway seeds, whole or ground (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups or more buttermilk or soured milk

METHOD

1. Soak the currants in whiskey for an hour or more, if you please.
2. Sift flour with all the dry ingredients.
3. Toss currants and whiskey marinade through the flour.
4. Mix in the orange peel and caraway, if desired.
5. Stir in enough butter milk to make a nice, light, spongy dough—not a batter and not a dough ball, but something in between.
6. Bake in a greased, floured 10 inch round pan or an iron skillet, about 35 minutes at 350 F. It should pull back from the sides of the pan when done.
7. Cool for a couple of hours before slicing.