Top | Breads

Irish Soda Bread Scones

(recipe, Katie Hickey)

Introduction

This is a more crumbly, scone-like soda bread. You can make (hefty) individual servings into 8 scones, or larger, shareable mini-loaves into 4 scones. These should be eaten the day they are made and don't keep nearly as well as the bready skillet soda bread version.

Ingredients

  1. 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
  2. 1 cup cake flour
  3. ¼ cup granulated sugar
  4. 1½ tsp. baking soda
  5. 1½ tsp. cream of tartar
  6. 1 tsp. table salt (this is ⅔ the original amount, which I found too salty)
  7. 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter (4 tablespoons softened, 1 tablespoon melted- extra tablespoon is if you intend to brush the top)
  8. 1¼ cups buttermilk
  9. 1 egg, lightly beaten
  10. 1 cup currants or raisins
  11. 1 Tbsp. caraway seeds

Steps

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the upper-middle position. Whisk dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt) in a large bowl. Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with a fork, pastry blender or your fingertips until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. Add the wet ingredients (buttermilk and egg), currants or raisins and caraway seeds and stir with a fork until the dough just begins to come together. Turn out onto a work surface (CI says you need a floured one but I didn’t agree) and knead until the dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy. You’re not going for a smooth dough — CI warns that this will make it tough.
  3. Pat dough into a round and use a knife or dough divider to cut it into 8 wedges. Form each wedge into a round and place on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet. Cut a cross shape into the top of each. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees (this is especially helpful in this recipe, where doneness is hard to judge from the outside). Scones should be golden brown a skewer should come out clean. Remove from the oven and brush with butter before cooling to room temperature (if using). Eat on day one.