Irish Soda Bread is one of the easiest & most delicious breads to whip up in no time flat. These scones only add one more step and for me, it's totally worth it and they still come together in under 30 minutes, including baking time!
One of the beautiful things about Irish Soda Bread, besides the deliciousness of it's simplicity, is the fact that it is also a blank slate for flavor. Classic Irish Soda bread adds raisins for a bit of sweetness, but these can be removed or replaced with both sweet and savory ingredients. Check out some easy variation ideas in the Notes section below!
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (1 lb)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda & sugar in a bowl and mix together. Add buttermilk and raisins and stir gently until mixture resembles a shaggy dough. Don't worry about trying to get it completely mixed in the bowl! Once it's mostly mixed, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about a minute. If the dough is too wet, add some additional flour as you knead.
Shape the dough into a flat disc, about 1-inch thick. Using a 3-inch circle cutter or wide mouth mason jar, cut circles out of the dough and place on a baking sheet. Reshape dough as needed to shape all dough into circles.
Place sheet in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 400°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until scones have puffed and tops are golden brown. Serve warm with butter or jam (or both!), or with soups/stews.
*Adapted from Darina Allen Forgotten Skills of Cooking
Variation Ideas!
Try replacing raisins with Dried Blueberries & a little bit of lemon zest, or with dried cranberries and a little bit of orange zest.
Take a savory route by adding small dices of good Irish cheddar and some cracked black pepper.
Donna Dempsey
Mar 16, 2023, 11:21 PM