Irish Soda Bread

From the original Good Housekeeping cookbook with a few small changes -- very good and easy. 

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup currants
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 ½ cups buttermilk

 

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart round casserole. In large bowl with fork, mix flour and the next 4 ingredients. With pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in currants. 

In small bowl with fork, beat eggs and yolk slightly; remove 1 tablespoon and reserve. Stir buttermilk into remaining egg; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened (dough will be sticky). 

Turn dough onto well-floured surface; knead about 10 strokes to mix thoroughly. Shape into a ball; place in casserole. In center of ball, cut 4-inch cross ¼ inch deep. Brush dough with reserved egg. 

Bake about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool in casserole on wire rack 10 minutes; removed from casserole and cool completely on rack. 

Makes 1 loaf.