Irish Soda Bread with Sourdough Discard

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2

In a small bowl whisk together the sourdough discard, buttermilk and egg. Set aside.

Step 3

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl and lightly mix together. Add currants and zest if using and lightly toss and coat with flour mixture.

Step 4

Grate the cold butter directly into the mixture or cut the butter into small chunks or use a pastry cutter until the butter is finely incorporated. There should be no big lumps of butter, just small pea-sized pieces.

Step 5

Pour the buttermilk mixture on top of the flour mixture and stir to lightly incorporate. If the dough is a little sticky, add a Tablespoon or two of extra flour. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead once or twice. This is a quick bread, so you don’t want to activate the gluten in the flour with a lot of kneading. Shape into a round circle.

Step 6

Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking pan lined with parchment paper. Score a large X on the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes and then check the top of your bread. If it is browning quickly, cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Bake the loaf for another 20-25 minutes until the bread is cooked through, about 45-50 minutes total time.

Step 7

Allow the bread to cool 15 minutes and then serve warm. It can also be eaten at room temperature or toasted for a snack later. Enjoy!