Cumin is in the caraway family, and i make a soda bread with cumin and figs:
http://food52.com/recipes/21343-other-than-irish-soda-bread-with-cumin-fennel-and-figs
I've never heard of orange peel. I love Darina Allen but must respectfully beg to differ: white soda bread with caraway seed was indeed made in Ireland. The most classic every-day bread was brown bread, like Merrill's (no caraway seed, no raisins). Soda bread made with white flour was considered more special. The cook might add raisins OR caraway seeds to a white soda bread, depending on the region (but not both). This goes back hundreds of years. It's possible that the ability to add ANY embellishments to flour dwindled as the potato famines made paupers (and emigrants) of millions of Irish.
According to Darina Allen (Ballymaloe cookery), traditional Irish soda bread does not contain caraway--Irish immigrants in the US added the caraway and orange peel.
Yes, you can leave out caraway seed (or raisins). A plain soda bread is fine and classic. For classic, you wouldn't substitute anything for caraway or raisins. You'd just make it plain. http://food52.com/recipes/16529-peggy-s-authentic-irish-soda-bread-with-raisins
Traditional soda bread recipes have caraway seed OR raisins. As my grandmother explained it, "you can have sequins or patent leather but not both at the same time." And then a friend on this Hotline responded, "Unless you are Dorothy." :-)
Slainte, everyone. Gaelic (Irish) for "to your health."
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http://food52.com/recipes/21343-other-than-irish-soda-bread-with-cumin-fennel-and-figs
It's "an add-on".
Sounds good though.
Voted the Best Reply!
Traditional soda bread recipes have caraway seed OR raisins. As my grandmother explained it, "you can have sequins or patent leather but not both at the same time." And then a friend on this Hotline responded, "Unless you are Dorothy." :-)
Slainte, everyone. Gaelic (Irish) for "to your health."