Master Baker, Lionel Vatinet shares his Irish Soda Bread recipe to make at home.
photography by Bob Karp

In honor or Saint Patrick’s Day, with many of us celebrating the Irish holiday at home this year, we asked local bread master Lionel Vatinet of La Farm to share his Irish Soda Bread. “Every year for almost 20 years our customers have looked forward to celebrating St Patrick’s with us! We make a traditional Irish Soda quick bread that’s tender & crumbly & has a little sweetness from the plump raisins we fold into the dough,”  says Vatinet. One of the most celebrated bakers in the U.S at the moment, Vatinet just launched a series of virtual baking classes where the bread connoisseur is sharing his old-word bread baking tips and recipes.

How to Make Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients
2 cups white flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoon butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, butter and salt in bowl. Add buttermilk to dry ingredient mixture. Fold until liquid is incorporated. Add raisins to mixture and mix until blended evenly. Divide into 1.5 lb round. Dust outside of loaf with flour, use a knife to slash 1in deep cross on top of the loaf. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.