Nanny's Irish Bread

This Irish bread is a family heirloom recipe that uses sour cream where most Irish soda breads use buttermilk. The result is a richer, more tender crumb with a slight tang that pairs perfectly with the raisins scattered throughout.

The dough comes together fast. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda) separately from the wet (sour cream, eggs, vanilla), then combine. The texture should be slightly sticky, not smooth. Don’t overwork it or the bread will turn tough.

No yeast means no rising time. The baking powder and baking soda provide all the lift, reacting with the acid in the sour cream. Shape the dough and get it straight into the oven.

Bake low and slow at a moderate temperature for up to 1 ½ hours. The lower heat gives the thick loaf time to cook through without burning the crust. Test with a skewer in the center before pulling it out.

Kitchen Tips

• Add raisins to taste, anywhere from ½ cup to 1 ½ cups depending on your preference
• The dough is supposed to be sticky, so don’t add extra flour or the bread will be dry
• Test with a skewer at the 1-hour mark and continue baking if it doesn’t come out clean
• Slice thick and serve warm with butter for a proper Irish tea-time treat

Variations

• Add caraway seeds for a more traditional Irish soda bread flavor
• Use golden raisins or dried currants instead of regular raisins
• Replace vanilla with a teaspoon of orange zest for a citrus note