Making Orange Raisin Soda Bread is easy and quick to make. It is delicious, with each bite full of raisins and fresh orange flavor! This bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. Jump to:What is Soda Bread?About Orange Raisin Soda BreadWhy You Will Love This BreadIngredients and NotesHow To Make Orange Raisin Soda BreadHow To Serve and Store Orange Raisin Soda BreadHelpful TipsMore Bread RecipesYou May Like More Baking RecipesRecipe Card
About Orange Raisin Soda Bread
When I baked the soda bread for the first time, I was excited and nervous because I was worried about the texture of the bread without yeast. And to my disappointment, the bread was crumbly, slightly raw, and poorly tasted. But I did not give up and tried again with a few changes, only to find success. So once I was confident about the basic soda bread, I decided to add raisins and flavors. That is why the Orange Raisin Soda Bread recipe became one of my favorite bread recipes. Soda bread is dense with tight crumbs compared to traditional yeast bread, but it has a soft interior and tastes amazingly delicious. The bread stays for up to four days at room temperature. You can serve the bread slices warm or at room temperature with your favorite spread or butter. It also tastes delicious after lightly toasting it and spreading butter, jam, or cream cheese.
How To Make Orange Raisin Soda Bread
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. I have used light brown sugar, but you can use white granulated sugar.
Add butter cubes and mix using a pastry cutter or with your clean fingers until the butter is pea-sized crumbs.
Add raisins and mix well.
Pour in the buttermilk and orange juice and mix gently until everything is combined.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, gently shape the dough into a large round, about 8 to 10 inches across. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. If it is hard to shape into a ball, add a little more flour.
Transfer the dough ball onto a prepared baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to score X on top of the loaf.
Bake until the bread is golden brown and the center appears cooked through for about 45-55 minutes. If your bread is browning too quickly on the top, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil. Remove the loaf from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack.
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DIY Buttermilk: If you do not have store-bought buttermilk on hand, you can make the homemade version of the buttermilk. Add 1 tablespoon of whiter vinegar to 1½ cups of milk, stir well, and let it stand for five minutes. Orange Juice: Use fresh orange juice for the best flavor. If you do not want to add orange juice, replace it with buttermilk. In total, you will need to add 1¾ cups of buttermilk. Dough: Add some flour if it is too hard to shape the dough into a ball. However, the dough should be soft and slightly sticky, so do not add too much flour.
