Rich Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds 
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted cold
• 2 cups golden beets dark
• 1.5  buttermilk 
• 1 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 large egg yolk 
• 1 tablespoon cup heavy whipping cream 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• skewers
• pastry brush
• pastry cutter

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and caraway seeds until well combined.
2. Using a pastry cutter or two knives in scissor fashion, cut in butter until the mixture feels like coarse meal. Stir in raisins until evenly distributed.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and baking soda until well combined.
4. Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour-and-butter mixture all at once, and stir with a fork until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture begins to hold together. It should resemble a rough biscuit dough. Using your hands, press the dough into a round, dome-shaped loaf about 8 inches in diameter. Lift the loaf from the bowl, and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and cream together. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the loaf. With a sharp knife or razor, incise a cross, about 1/2 inch deep, into the top of the loaf.
6. Transfer to the oven.
7. Bake, rotating halfway through, until it is deep golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center, about 70 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, and transfer bread from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.
9. Mark Berenson