Irish Soda Bread- Spotted Dog (and the dogs I spotted)
The first Saturday in March has been a date for the Old Town Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade for the past 27 years. For about the past 3 years, Frank and I have enjoyed the parade with a dog or two. Two hours of marching bands, armed services, police forces, little girls in beautiful Irish costumes, bagpipes, and men in skirts, uh, kilts. Old Town loves a parade.
Before the parade, a “fun dog show” is held in Market Square to benefit the Alexandria Animal Welfare League. It’s heartwarming to see how dog friendly Alexandria is. The Square gets packed with dogs of all shapes and sizes with many wearing something for St. Patrick’s Day.
This year, we took our Bichon, Cole, and our Beardie mix, Tucker to the parade. In preparation, I went into our box of dog accessories and made the dogs Irish for a day. Cole wore a handsome green sweater and neckerchief, while Tucker sported a bright green feather boa that we picked up last year at the parade. Frank, horrified, told me that he would be walking 3 feet behind me all day, because the dog in drag was too embarassing for him.
But, alas, he changed his mind. Walking the dogs through Old Town drew many, many smiles and greetings. And our dogs were not alone. We saw Irish doggie sweaters, hats, bandanas, collars and more. One white dog even had his tail dyed green!
At least this year I didn’t try to enter Tucker into any of the fun dog contests held in the Square’s bandstand. Last year, I entered him into a category called “most unusual looking dog”. It was a crowded field and we were in the back, never being seen by the judge. We didn’t have a chance. I exited the bandstand crestfallen and Tucker was freaked out by the crowds and noise. He’s a winner in my book no matter what.
So, feeling Irish, I decided to try my hand at making soda bread with raisins called “Spotted Dog”. It was easy to make and didn’t need a lot of attention or rising, which I like. The dough was very moist, so if you make it, dust your board and hands with a lot of flour so the sticking is kept down to a minimum. After baking, eat the bread warm with a pat of butter and perhaps some jam. At least that’s what I did!
Spotted Dog
serves 6
Ingredients
4 cups All Purpose flour
4 Tablespoons butter, chilled
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
14 oz. buttermilk
1 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, place sifted flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Mix to incorporate ingredients. Place butter into dry ingredients and incorporate with a pastry cutter. Alternatively, you can use 2 knives and “cut” the butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should look like coarse meal. Add raisings and stir through.
Make a well in the middle and add the egg and buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dough until it stiffens and becomes difficult to stir. At this point, flour your hands and turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead the dough gently and add a bit of flour if it is sticky. It may take up to another half a cup so use your discretion.
Shape the dough into a flat circle, about 10-12 inches across. Place the dough on a greased pan or skillet. Make a 1 inch deep cut to score the dough on top to make an “x”. Place the pan or sheet in oven, on the middle rack. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If the top appears to be getting too brown, tent it with aluminum foil.
A toothpick or skewer should come out clean when inserted in the middle.
Place bread on a rack to cool for a short time. Serve warm.
What’s the oven temperature on this, please? Thanks.
Ooops, it’s 425 degrees. Thank you so much for picking that up!
BTW..we enjoyed this for breakfast today.