Sourdough Soda Bread

I adjusted and adapted an Irish Soda Bread recipe to use discarded sourdoughs. The original Soda Bread that does not use sourdough is already super tasty and with the addition of the sourdough, it stays moist and even more flavorful. This sourdough Soda Bread recipe is one of my favorites because it does not require any kneading or proofing time, making it super easy to make. The Soda Bread also keeps well in the freezer.

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup raisins (or currants, also the option of adding orange or lemon zests)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sourdough-discard (unfed and right out of the fridge)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk, almond milk + 1 tbsp yogurt)

Steps to make sourdough soda bread:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F and prepare an ungreased cookie sheet
2. in a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, and mix well. And then cut cold butter into the dry mixture until the texture resembles coarse crumbs (pea-sized). Then mix in the raisins and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the sourdough and the buttermilk together. Slowly add the mixture to the flour/butter mixture and gently combine.
4. Try not to mix the dough too much, once it is all combined it is OK even though the dough is a little lumpy.
5. Dump the dough onto the cookie sheet and shape it into a round mount. Use oil or flour to keep the dough from sticking to hands. Then push two deep slits into the bread with a knife to form an X into the top of the bread to help bread bake evenly.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean. Cover the bread with foil while baking if it browns too quickly. Once the bread is done it should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on the rack for 20-30 minutes before cutting.
7. To freeze wrap in foil and store in a plastic bag.