Brown Sugar Irish Soda Bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

In large bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using electric mixer with paddle blade, mix together the oil, buttermilk and egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix for about 15 seconds, until well incorporated.

Scoop dough onto countertop, using extra flour if sticky. Divide dough into two equal parts. Add in any optional ingredients if desired, kneading into dough for about 1 minute until mixed throughout.

Shape dough into 2 round loaves and place onto sprayed sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow X into the top of each loaf (for expansion, so loaves won't crack). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle is dry.

cook's notes

I like to keep powdered buttermilk powder on the refrigerator shelf (look for it in the baking section of the grocery store) so that recipes calling for buttermilk, like this one, can be whipped up anytime.

To accommodate individual preferences, we made one loaf with raisins and cinnamon and left the other one plain (you could also add caraway seeds for an authentic touch.)