Cranberry Orange Soda Bread

LevelEasy

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the lemon juice to a measuring cup. Fill the rest of the measuring cup up to the 1 ½ cup mark with the milk. Let that sit for about 5 minutes to create a faux “buttermilk”.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Stir well.
Add the cubes of butter to the bowl, cutting it in with a pastry cutter or working it in by hand, until the butter is well distributed and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in the cranberries and orange zest.
Add the milk mixture, stirring and forming a dough until just combined (do not overmix).
Sprinkle a little extra flour over the top of the dough in the bowl, then flip the dough and sprinkle a little more flour on that side. The goal is to get just enough flour on the dough to be able to shape it by hand somewhere between a disc and boule (slightly rounded ball). It should look like a circle with a slightly domed top.
Place the dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet. With a sharp knife, score the center of the dough with an X about ½-inch thick.
Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40-50 minutes, or until the bread is cooked through. When cooked through, it should have a hollow sound when tapped and a toothpick will pull out clean.
Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least an hour, then slice and enjoy(as-is or topped with butter).

Use baking soda that is relatively new for best results, as baking soda can lose its potency over time.
Be sure to let the bread cool before you cut into it, or it will crumble. This is a rustic style bread and still may crumble slightly as you slice it. Use a good bread knife to cut it.
This recipe makes one loaf. For the nutrition analysis, we assume 12 slices from this loaf.