Made with caraway seeds and golden raisins, this Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread is a savory brown bread with a hint of sweetness. Don't forget the butter on this one!
Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss golden raisins with 1/8 cup of the whole wheat flower and set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine remaining flours, salt, baking soda, raisins, and caraways seeds. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add butter and using pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until a pebbly consistency is attained.
Created a well in the center of the flour and butter mixture and pour the butter milk into this well. Fold the flour and butter mixture into the butter milk just enough ensure it is evenly mixed together.
Next, kneed the dough 6 or 7 times either in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface. Do not over-kneed or the bread will turn out tough. From an oval shaped loaf, 6-8 inches in diameter and place in a lightly greased iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Use a serrated knife and create two cuts, perpendicular and down the center. This will allow the dough to bake more evenly.
Pour hot water into a second (preheated) skillet, on the oven rack below where you will be baking the bread. Then quickly place bead in oven and close door. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
Place on cooling rack for 15 minutes, serve immediately with more delicious, creamy butter.