Ina Garten Irish Soda Bread in the Pressure Cooker
This Irish Soda Bread in a pressure cooker offers a tender, golden crust with soft crumb, accented by bright orange zest and sweet currants. Perfect for cozy days in.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker for baking
- Parchment paper for lining
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar you can swap cane or coconut sugar if you want
- 1 teaspoon baking soda for that rise
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt to balance the flavors
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 ¾ cups cold buttermilk the secret to broth depth
- 1 large egg to bind everything nicely
- 1 teaspoon orange zest for a pop of bright citrus
- 1 cup currants lightly floured so they don't sink to the bottom
- Parchment paper for lining your baking tray or pot
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat your pressure cooker on the bake setting or use the oven method if you want, but pressure cooker gives you that tender pull quicker.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt so everything's mixed real good.
- Add the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to blend it until you get coarse crumbs—don't overdo it or the butter'll melt too soon.
- Stir in the cold buttermilk, egg, orange zest, and currants just until combined. You don't want to overmix—you're aiming for a dough, not pancake batter.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently for a few seconds until it just comes together, then shape it into a round loaf.
- Line the bottom of your pressure cooker pot with parchment paper to keep the bread from sticking. Cut a cross on top of your loaf with a sharp knife and place it in the pot.
- Lock the lid, set to high pressure, and cook for about 20 minutes. Let it do the natural release so the bread finishes simmering softly inside and the crust won’t get tough. When the float valve drops, you're good to go.
Notes
Serve warm with butter or some sharp cheese. Leftover slices can be toasted or used in soups and stews.