Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

1 c cake flour ( 140 g )
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbs unsalted butter + 1/2 Tbs to grease pan
1/2 egg
1/2 c buttermilk or yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c dried currants
bread flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease 6" cast iron pan with 1/2 Tbs butter.
Whisk together flour,sugar, salt and baking soda. Cut butter into small pieces ( 1/8" cubes ) and use fingers to work butter into dry ingredients until crumbs form.
Add currants and work to breakup any clumps.
Whisk egg in dish, save 1/2 for other purpose. Whisk dairy into remaining egg.
Add to dry ingredients and mix until dough starts to come together.
Transfer to floured sheet ( or cutting board ). Dust with bread flour. Use spatula to form round incorporating enough bread flour to stiffen dough so it keeps its shape.

Place cast iron pan over and flip round into pan.
Score top with X.
Bake 25 min at 375. Internal temp of round should get to around 195.

Notes

If not using cast iron skillet, use 8x8 pan.

Traditional soda bread does not have sugar. egg or currants.

AP flour could be used in place of cake flour but bread will be tougher.