Irish Soda Bread

This is the first of 3 blogs to feature recipes for St. Patrick's day in my house!  Tomorrow the main course will be made and the dessert will be finished up after cooling in the fridge tonight.  I have never made Irish Soda Bread before, but it was relatively painless and easy.  The most difficult part was keeping buttermilk on hand for it, the rest of the ingredients are things that you would most likely have around your house anyway if you are a baker. 

Ingredients:
4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
4 Tbsp White Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Margarine (softened)
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
1/4 Cup butter (melted)
1/4 Cup Buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet (or place parchment paper down instead). 
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and butter.  Stir in the 1 Cup of buttermilk and the egg.  Turn down onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly.  Form dough into a round loaf and place on the prepared cookie sheet.  Use a sharp knife and cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
In a small bowl combine the remaining buttermilk and butter.  Brush loaf with the mixture. 
Bake the loaf in the oven for 45-50 minutes (be sure to check around the 30 minute mark to see how close to being done it is, adjust time as needed).  Allow to cool for a few minutes, serve & enjoy!

Add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, powder & butter to the bowl to be mixed!

Add in the egg & buttermilk and mix together!

Lightly flour a surface and knead the dough

Mold into a round loaf

'X' the top of the loaf

Combine the remaining buttermilk and butter

Brush it on the surface (I decided to pour the extra on top)

Serve & Enjoy (shallower cuts for the X would have made the bread not split as much)