Let’s just get this out of the way from the get-go — don’t let the title fool you. This here is American soda bread. It has raisins. It has caraway seeds. It has butter, eggs and even some sugar. It stales quickly, but not nearly as quickly as the authentic stuff (almost entirely comprised of flour, baking soda and buttermilk) would. Oh, and I made the “bread” into “tiny breads” and I liken them to scones. Look, when I blasphemize a recipe, I like to go all the way, okay?
So now that we got what they are not out of the way, let’s talk about what they are: a triumph! Okay, perhaps something less dramatic, but briefly in my kitchen on Sunday morning (before heading out to an afternoon in the apparent floodlands of Central Jersey), it sure felt like it. A month or so ago, I had spied a Irish soda bread scone at Whole Foods that was fairly run of the mill for a scone — dry and uninteresting; “soda bread” really in name only. And I got to remembering how much I like the crackly coarse crust and plush interior of a good Irish soda bread, not to mention that curiously addictive raisin-caraway combo and knew there had to be a way to make these the way I believed they ought to have been at home.
Of course, the way things are sputtering along my kitchen these days, it should have been no surprise that I didn’t nail it on round one (an accidental extra egg in a halved recipe yielded muffins, spongy ones) or round two (convinced my standby would make excellent scones, well, I was wrong). It was round three or bust for me on Sunday morning; I was running low on the comically large raisins I’d picked up, patience and inclination, as there were more entertaining things in my line of view, and so I went for the kind of recipe that keeps its promises, the kind you often find in Cook’s Illustrated. Sure enough, these breads were velvety within and craggy without; they had crust, they had crumb and they had me, armed with a pat of butter, to face down and I’m sorry, but they lost.
One year ago: Layer Cake Tips + The Biggest Birthday Cake, Yet
Two years ago: White Bean Stew
Three years ago: Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad
Irish American Soda Bread Scones
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
I adapted the original recipes into mini-breads (that I like to call scones) but this recipe will also work as a whole loaf, with a 40 to 45 minute cooking time. However you do or do not divide them, like all soda breads, you should plan to consume these on day one. On day one, they’ve got a craggy crust and a warm, plush interior; they love butter and you love them. On day two, they have a density, especially when your big toe breaks their fall, that could threaten your efforts to rein in your foul language now that tiny, impressionable ears linger about.
Yields 8 mini-bread “scones” which are fairly hefty, and can be split between two people
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
1 cup cake flour (or, make your own)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon table salt (this is 2/3 the original amount, which I found too salty)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 tablespoons softened, 1 tablespoon melted)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or, make your own)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup currants or raisins
1 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
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.
Add the wet ingredients (buttermilk and egg), currants or raisins and caraway seeds, if you’re using them, 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.
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. Eat on day one.
Never thought of soda bread in scones! Excellent idea.
Adding these to my baking list for the week!
Soda bread and scones – great idea and butter toppin makes it even better!
My tummy growled when I saw this. I love the small size!
It’s the week for Irish Soda Bread! I prefer the American version, too.
Have you ever tried Irish Wholemeal Flour from King Arthur? It is so good and perfect in traditional Irish Soda Bread. These scones, however, look lovely just as they are!
Think I might make a date and walnut version of these – could work equally well as a mid-morning sweet snack with butter as for lunch with a chunk of cheese…
p.s. There’s no shame in food that has to be eaten on day one –my scones regularly develop the properties of plutonium after a few hours. Scoff quickly, that’s what I say.
I have to make these for the next book club….YUM
I haven’t had a scone in ages. These look amazing!
Thanks for the warning about soda bread staling quickly. I’ve been wanting to try it and was going to make some tonight (from the so-called authentic recipe in the March Bon Appetit) , but there’s no way the two of us would eat a whole loaf in one evening. I’ve never had it before so I was really planning to make it out of curiosity, but I’d hate to have to toss it if we can’t eat it all at once. Do you think I could slice and freeze it so we could eat it over the course of the week?
Yes, you can freeze them and any other loaf of soda bread.
I make mini loaves for family and friends and begin a week ahead and freeze them. I defrost before I give it to them.
Another good way to handle leftover soda bread: when it starts to get dry, cut into very thin slices and bake on a baking sheet on a slow oven (arounf 250 F) till golden and crisp. It’s a fantastic cracker for dips, cheese, almond butter…
Hats off, no hats on to JH. He has planes on his hoodie and wearing cars in his “crib”–the MTA would love him. Gotta try these. #7 comments “properties of plutonium” …
I checked your other recipe can this one also be baked in iron skillet?
bg — They can be. Just line it with parchment.
Thanks for sharing these cute little breads! I made a loaf of Irish soda bread with dates the other day, not authentic, but really yummy.
You always give the most perfect scone recipes. Perfect for this time of year!
These are perfect for a weekend brunch! Or weekday breakfest. Heck…anytime! They look delicious! ;)
Great idea with the scones! I like you American version of this not the biggest fan of the true Irish Soda bread. I made a version of this the other week and love it toasted with some butter.
These look delicious and Jacob looks so darn adorable in his hat. He is just about the cutest thing around (and I don’t say that lightly – I have two pretty cute kids myself) :-)
Oh my god, Jacob in that hat is too much!
I love what you did with the recipe, they’re so cute too!
Delicious!
Wow. I love all forms of bread and these are calling my name. Eat me! Eat me!
I just made some soda bread with King Arthurs White Whole Wheat, candied orange rind and candied ginger. I used agave syrup and safflower oil instead of sugar and butter. I tried a batch with buttermilk and a batch with soy milk (curdled with a bit of cider vinegar) and found them both to be good. (although if you want to be decadent, the bread slices are great spread with mascarpone and marmalade . . .)
I like the idea of small scones, but I also found it works to shape the bread into a long baguette.
Rachel Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School has an excellent recipe for traditional white soda bread, and she has some interesting modern variations, like using the dough to make a cheater’s foccacia.
I bought those “comically large” raisins once – kind of scary to think what size the grapes were before being dehydrated! And I laughed out loud when I saw Jacob’s picture. . .he is just so darn cute!!!
Oh, and to Adrianne, soda bread freezes really well. Can reheat, wrapped in foil, at 350F for about 10 minutes once thawed.
My issue with irish soda bread has always been that it was too salty. I look forward to a less salty version, served with lots of butter or maybe even clotted cream and jam!
LOL. I like the raisins and the seeds better in the “scone” version anyway (and I think the butter definitely makes these scones!) My soda bread recipe is the old fashioned kind (whole wheat flour, buttermilk, and just a leetle sugar) , and it’s a different beast altogether.
Can the individually formed breads be flash frozen like biscuits or cookies? I’d love to try this recipe, but 8 (and even 4) breads to consume in one day is a little much for li’l ol’ me.
i’ll definitely be making these this week… i prefer the nontraditional soda bread. currants and raisins, sugar and eggs.. yumm!
I just started baking bread with sourdough starter. So whenever I read “bread” in a recipe I think of how to use my starter… I will have to first make your recipe to see whether whatever I manage to make with the starter comes close enough. I am not sure. Yours look so good! And so does your son!
A trick learned from my Irish mother, who taught me to bake sods bread when I was a child and am I ever thankful – soda bread and scones freeze very well, and microwave up quite nicely.
Yum! I’ve been eyeing the Irish soda bread at Whole Foods, but didn’t see the scone version (obviously is a good thing or I may have picked a few up). I made some maple scones the other day (recipe courtesy of Ina) so I think I’m ready to dabble in another scone recipe…
i think you meant “raisin-caraway,” not “raising-caraway” in the second paragraph… sorry to nitpick!
but these look SO GOOD. i love soda bread.
Caitlin — Thanks, fixed now.
Halved — Yes, the recipe can be halved although splitting eggs always is a pain.
Frozen — Yes, the scones can be frozen unbaked. Baked straight from the freezer, I do it all of the time. You just add a couple minutes to the baking time.
I love soda bread!
Can the recipe be halved? I don’t think I have the ability to have 8 eaten in one day!
The soda bread with raisins and caraway is called Spotted Dog. I like the visual attached to that name. I’ve just finished baking my 10th loaf! People love to receive a loaf around the holiday.
I’m excited to try these. I’m thinking I might use currants and caraways seeds. Thus avoiding the overly large rasin problem.
This is timely. Last year I wanted to bake my Irish-American pop a loaf of soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day. But my local market was out of caraway seed. The next time I saw some, I picked them up and set them aside. I might have forgotten about it, were it not for this post. My mom won’t be baking this week, so maybe I will make this for my dad :) Thank you!
I like the idea of adding caraway seeds to soda bread. Will have to try.
While the bread looks lovely, I had to laugh at myself and share my thought when I saw your blog highlighted in my reader today: “Oh goody, a new picture of Jacob!” And you didn’t disappoint :) He is too precious for words!
I have not tried to make scones, but this recipes sound quite delicious!
The best recipes is your thoughts .. I tried to taste by preparing the most delicious scone.
I love making soda bread for family and friends on St. Patrick’s day, these are such a lovely twist on the traditional.
Glad you kept with tradition and made the cross at the top. In Ireland, they say it’s a good luck tradition when baking bread to “let the fairies out,” which actually allows the bread to rise better.
Yum.
I’m just wondering how this recipe compares to the other one on your site. i came here looking to find that one and found this new recipe. i think i’d rather just make a round and not the scones, so stick with the old one? love that cute baby!
would you classify these as sweet? also, could a substitution of brown sugar be made, like i saw in bon apetite? :)
kit — I would not call them sweet. There’s just enough to keep them from being only salty. I haven’t tried it with brown sugar, but if you do, please let us know how it goes for others curious to make the same swap.
Great week for Irish Soda bread. I wonder if they retain their freshness better as larger loaves or perhaps I should make half a recipe? Thanks for the recipe and for keeping up up to date on little Jacob.
I like anything that likes butter! Can’t wait to have a crowd to serve these to.
I’ll eat them all in one day—no problem!
Oh yum!
LOL, you had scones become muffins, I once used the wrong kind of flour and had muffins become scones!
I’m the weird American that actually prefers authentic Irish Soda bread over the Americanized version, but, either way, I adore the presentation of these mini loaves, complete with cross slashes.
Yes! Finally an Irish soda bread recipe! I’ll definitely try this out as I’m a huge fan of this bread.
In some parts of Ireland, it is traditional to put caraway seeds and raisins (currants, actually), in our soda bread.
Raisins + caraway seeds + mini soda bread = love. (Also… the jammies, the smile, oh good lord).
I love the idea of raisins and caraway; sweet and savory. It would be perfect to accompany a corned beef or ham meal. I like to soak raisins to plump them a bit. It shouldn’t affect the dough, right?
Susan — No, it should not. And you know, I often read comments before the names attached to them (in my admin panel) but I’m starting to guess which are yours without looking! Always inquisitive, always good ideas…
This is great! I always referred to the sweet Irish soda bread as a giant scone, but I think I like the smaller size better.
Another add on to the soaking raisins, I like to heat up fresh orange juice to use as the soaking liquid. I’m not sure if it really makes much difference, but I like to think it helps a bit!
smitten kitchen lady, i love you so.
is it possible to bake grapes into scones? i have tons of extra grapes and need to use them up.
delicious looking bread!
making these and eating them with clotted cream and jam … can’t wait.
gosh i love caraway seeds.i have been using them more and more frequently these days…and with raisins!
a bientot
Made me blush! Your quest to translate various foods from so many sources for the home cook has inspired me to experiment and question so much more than I ever did before. I am loving cooking more than ever and I thank you for that!
Beautiful looking scones. I was contemplating soda bread for tomorrow but the scones seem better for two people and easier to transport (for sharing). Gotta do the Caraway seeds. Hopefully (due to your misfortune) I can nail it on the first try. Thanks!
I don’t think I’ve ever had Irish Soda Bread but no one in my family eats raising. Would currants work? I don’t eat a lot of caraway (not really a west coast staple) so I’m not sure about the flavors.
Genius!!! YUMMY
I like the idea of the scone-like texture and the pat of butter is exactly how I would want to enjoy these!
scones are such simple yet yummy things.
we can put whatever we like inside!
though i hardly ever make scones.
this version looks good, though! :)
I already have two soda bread recipes on my “to-bake” list for this week, and I’m afraid you may have just added a third. For someone who doesn’t even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I sure seem to be in the spirit this year! At least the scones can be frozen before baking so I can try them out and then save the rest for later (after my soda bread frenzy subsides). Thanks for the new idea!
These look amazing!! I love scones- it’s such a British thing. Scones with cream and jam at high tea.
Irish bread into scones? Brilliant!
Your timing is perfect! I was literally laying in bed last night thinking to myself that I’d need to look for Irish Soda Bread Recipe’s in blogs. I’ve tried many recipes, enjoyed a few but I’m preparing a St.Patty’s dinner for my in laws and can’t afford for these to go wrong;) My most sincere gratitude! Thank You!!
Awesome idea!
I was thinking of doing mine as mini ones too, I love they way they look on your pictures.
I tried this last night on a trial run, and the scones are FANTASTIC. I took Susan’s advice, re: soaking the raisins. Brilliant! Thank you. My dad is going to love this…
Yum – I mean, really yum. I want one with my one-last-cup of tea this morning.
I will prepare all the ingredients tonight, and tomorrow morning, I’ll wake up early and throw them all together to bake while I get ready to work. I love being the hero who shows up at the office with still-hot-from-the-oven baked goods, but I hate waking up excessively early.
AMAZING. just perfect. plus they were so easy to make. thank you!
just made these- exactly as written, except i substituted king arthur white whole wheat for half the flour. came out light, crusty, and delicious. thanks for the great recipe!
Oh man… those really do look beautiful, and I love me some Cooks Illustrated. I just don’t know if I can see past the raisins! I’m still such a 10 year old when it comes to raisins in my baked goods…pick them out and pout, the whole bratty nine.
But do know that this is probably the closest I have ever come to baking a raisin recipe. They look that amazing! (That last shot with the butter?! please). However, I did make your Chocolate Stout Cake in honor of St. Patrick’s Day for work. Gigantic hit!
Thanks for letting me be an authentic Irish-American without the raisins;-)
-Sarah
I just dealt with this authenticity question when making a loaf of “Irish” soda bread that I put on my own blog, and I discovered (to my delight or chagrin, I can’t decide) that there is a Society for the Preservation of Traditional Irish Soda Bread. That’s the place to go if you want to a) be scolded for your invention and b) find an ‘authentic’ recipe. Unrelated: I wish I could (had a camera that could) take pics as beautiful as yours!
Just to say that I imagine your camera with milky fingerprints and little bits of flour goo in the cervices. :-)
Liz — Ha! More like my hands get cracked and dry because I wash them so many times while cooking. Do something. Wash hands. Pick up camera. Do something else. Wash hands. Pick up camera. Camera’s clean, hands are a mess.
Making this bread is my traditional way of using up flour before passover. :) I look forward to trying this variety.
In light of St. Patty’s Day, my roommate just made some vegan Irish bread…so delicious, quick, and easy! Talk about having fresh bread from the oven all within a few hours.
just made it to de-stress from studying and they’re amazing! I made them with currants.. what’s the real difference between raisins and currants – is it just size? Also, I completely agree with Susan — once I learned about this blog over the summer, my approach to baking and cooking has completely changed — for the much much better!
I love Irish Soda Bread! What a great idea. I might have to make this over the weekend.
Funny you should mention Irish Soda Bread Scones! I just found the “Once Upon a Tart” cookbook, which has a recipe for Irish Soda Scones, with dark & yellow raisins, caraway seeds and walnuts. And lots of butter – as it should be with scones!
Just finished eating one of these warm from the oven…mmm! Wait for dinner? What? Not a chance. They are beautiful and came out perfectly. I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used my standard sub of plain yogurt whisked into milk. Also made my own cake flour – thanks for the tip! I used golden raisins. Do you take the time to remove the little stem bits from your raisins? They bug me (imagining biting into one) so I always do, but it takes some time when you’re using a quantity.
I knew I should have checked your site before I jumped in…I made Irish Soda Bread for preschool today and a couple of the kids frowned at it. They probably would have liked their own individual breads and I bet this is yummy. I’ll have to try this and compare.
Now I know just what to make as the utensil to get the once a year whiskey butter into my mouth. Perfect!
Dear Smitten,
I been thinking to write you comment, my husband even was encouraging me to do so, but..always all the other people answered all my questions.
So- as first time commentator -You are one of my fav blogs for all the times, next to cannelle et vanille…Thanks for being such good blogger, great cook, good mom and your baby is/will be adored from all the world! Love you!God Bless your family!
As for recipes, I gave tried maybe ab 50 from your blog and almost(!) all were tasty and didn’t need improvement. But that I should post to the recipes concerned, right?
For this St. Patriks I’ll be trying your soda scones.Thanks for keeping up with holiday meals!
Little while ago we ate in this local Irish pub(FL, Orlando) and they had the bestest Irish bread served along with Irish stew. We kept ordering more and more…Even after heavy meal I could eat those…and so far I googled it every website I came accross didn’y have anything like this- dark, moist, honey tasting with raisins, with melted butter on top. And…not the white hard Irish soda bread we talk about. My guess maybe some Guiness in it? Maybe honey along with soaked raisins? Haven’t had time to try all the variables- after cooking very hard resemblance of the Irish pub’s soda bread fourth time I kind of gave up.
Well, last week in “B&N” I came accross this wonderful book “Irish Pub Cooking”(Love food) and I will be trying Barm Brack bread tomorrow along with Irish stew and Blackberry Soup with Buttermilk Custards…And of course Your soda scones!!!
Thank you very much for being…Love you and NYC
Love to see your cookbook one day((-: Any hopes???
What function does cream of tartar serve? Not sure I can get it in this part of the world.
These were yummy! We had one for an amuse & one with dinner. I made 1/2 the recipe & I am hoping, hoping, hoping that the two left will still be good tomorrow.
I made these for dinner (no raisins; I’m not a big fan of raisins and leaving out stuff you don’t like is the cook’s privilege, I think) and they were great! I made four and froze four. We had them with black bean soup, a nice pairing.
Judith…a bulk food store I buy has cream of tartar also labelled “angel cream”; it’s white powder. Does that sound familiar? Maybe it just has a different name. It’s usually used when beating egg whites stiff to stabilize them.
I just made these for dessert for me and the hubby. SO GOOD! I blogged about how tasty they were, and I used whole wheat flour in place of the white flour-still turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!
Lady, you have got to stop doing this to me… I just finished making the coconut fudge, have been assaulted by samplers-turned-instant addicts to make more (uh, stir your own fudge) and now this?
Oh, bread. Scony soda raisin bread. arrrrrrrrrgh.
These look so good!! I always though “scones” were made with chilled butter that steams and makes flaky dough, but these look just as good – if not better – than any scones I’ve eaten.
My Irish grandma used to make soda bread and soak the raisins in rum and whiskey before baking the bread…she’d put that rum and whiskey in the bread too. I loved it, even at three years old, haha.
Molly, over at Spilled Milk, also likened Soda Bread to scones. I like your idea of mini-breads, makes having a ‘slice’ much more fun.
I posted a while back about Swedish Rye bread whose mix I found in a carton at Ikea. A disgusting thought, I know – but admittedly delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
what an awesome idea! small things are way tastier than big things after all :)
I love this recipe! I was on the verge pulling my hair while thinking what would be the perfect St Patrick’s day celebratory dessert for work. I can officially scrap my green kiwi cake idea now!
I remember when I first made irish soda bread, I thought it was the best thing ever. I think i love it in scone form! They’re even cuter!
Scones are one of my favorite snacks! Thanks for the recipe.
I love Irish Soda Bread, but you need not make any excuses for your adaptation… small and tasty… thats what I love about your blog ( among many other things, like the delicious photos)… I wrote about yours today in mine…
For what it’s worth my Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law who were both born and raised in Ireland make a soda bread with caraway seeds and raisins. They prefer it this way and I’m pretty sure that they don’t consider it to be an American version.
I devoted my St. Patty’s Day post to your scones… Thanks for the inspiration – you rock. the post is below:
http://jackiefo.blogspot.com/2010/03/irish-death-bread-no-more.html
These made a delicious St. Patty’s day breakfast, thanks for the recipe!
You took me back a few years with this recipe, when I first learned to make scones in Ireland! I just added this recipe to my blog, and really enjoyed the results :-)
Hi there, I have been checking out your recipes for a while now, and LOVE all the ones I’ve tried. Last night, I made these scones and they were very tasty! Thanks for the recipe. My dog even wanted a bite but since they had raisins I had to say no. :)
Amber
Oh, I made these and they were, as usual for your recipes, soooo good. I did both zante currants and caraway and added a hint of orange extract because I am SUBVERSIVE and it was all symbolic, but you know, a fine addition. My 27-month-old called hers a BIG RAISIN MUFFIN! and ate every scrap, and she’s in that I-eat-NOTHING phase, so huge thumbs up from all corners of this Jewish-Irish household. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.
I just made these this morning with my 4-year-old to take to her preschool. They turned out fabulously (and we further de-Irished them because we ran out of raisins and used a mix of dried cranberries, blueberries, and raisins — the horror!). The children loved them and the teacher confided that she was so pleasantly surprised, because in the past people have brought ACTUAL irish soda bread, which is very boring to eat cold and by itself for snack with a nice glass of green water for St. Patrick’s Day teatime.
I just made these for breakfast tomorrow, without the tartar (didn’t have any) and they came out pretty good. Thank you! :)
De-lurking here to say that there is nothing wrong with a little recipe blasphemizing every now and then. Love it.
I made these last night. My husband adored them!! Thanks for sharing! I love how cute they are instead of a big honk’in loaf of bread!
This is just what I was looking for! My friend’s mother(born in Ireland and still has a thick accent after 55+ years here) makes them like this. She of course doesn’t have a recipe so I have been searching for a scone that tastes like hers. This is as close as I have ever come.
Also, my husband does not eat added sugars. I was able to reduce the sugar to 1-2TBSP and they still tasted great! Thank you once again.
Great recipe! My family liked them so much more than my typical soda bread. I’m curious why you used cream of tarter instead of baking soda.
These are incredible. I made them last night, and already a third of the batch is gone… I hope they make it to dinner tonight!
I also used ridiculously large raisins- organic flame raisins. They’re my favorite, but usually I won’t “waste” them in baking (I save them for snacking and for oatmeal), except for last night. And I’m really glad I did!!
Every recipe you post is amazing. How do you do it?!?
I made these for St Patty’s day and wow – so simple and delicious. I have been trying Irish Soda Bread recipes for years and disappointed. Not any more. This one will be used over and over. Thanks.
I made these on Wednesday night and they turned out so beautifully. I even divided them up further into 12 scones, and even those were big enough to split! It’s now Day 3 and I’m eating the last scone for breakfast. Not as good as it was two days ago, but still delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
I am a HORRIBLE baker and I pulled these off! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks so much. When every I need a recipe or a new twist, no matter how many places I look, I alway find what I want here on your site. I so enjoy how you write it out and share with us. I have always enjoyed cooking and baking for my fam. Your site excites me and keeps that joy going.
Beautiful! i LOVE SODA BREAD.
Looks like a great breakfast addition. Need to find time to cook something like that.
These are amazing. I couldn’t wait to pull them out of the oven, and they are fantastic with a nice cup of hot tea. Thanks!
Looks great! I made some rum & raisin scones (using one of your buttermilk scone recipe as the base; added the raisins soaked in rum since I had some leftover rum) the other day for some friends and they loved it. I read that one of the readers (Kit) asked about using brown sugar in the scones. I used some brown muscovado sugar (instead of regular white sugar) and loved the flagrance of it in the scones.
Deb, I have a question. The recipe I had for my scones were also with a mixture of cream of tartar and baking soda but am in Germany and it seems like they don’t use this stuff. They seem to only have yeast (fresh and dried) and baking powder. I used some baking powder for my scones before but I think the mixture of cream of tartar and baking soda would taste better, wouldn’t it? Also, what does the addition of the egg do? Because most scone recipes do not have egg in them right?
I love that you think that they are completly un-Irish but these are almost identical to my Mums. Apart from the caraway seeds, and hers are, to me, 100% authentic, and much nicer than you can buy in the shops. Even in Ireland!
I made these yesterday and they are terrific. I’ve been recovering from a 2-week bout with a stomach bug, and when you posted these, I knew they would make me feel better. Job done!
I made these and took them into work this morning and got tons of comments. Someone even came and asked me for the recipe.
Thanks!
Are you okay? It’s been so long since you’ve posted that I keep wondering if everything is all right. But maybe I missed a post saying that you’d be gone for a while. I hope that you are all doing well.
There have been maybe 10 posts since this one! Go to the home page, you’ll see them.
I made Irish soda bread almost every week for my boyfriend and I. Its just flour, buttermilk, an egg, baking soda and a bit of butter. My boyfriend is from Galway, Ireland and says mine tastes better than the stuff from home. Probably because its fresh from the oven, not from Dunns Stores!
I made these with blueberries and they are AWESOME!!!!!!
This is fantastic and makes me want go to my local grocery store and buy all the ingredients and add this to my baking list for the week. Thanks a lot. :)
I made these gluten & dairy-free using:
1 1/2 C Sorghum Flour
1 1/2 C Millet Flour
1 C Tapioca Starch
3 tsp Xanthan Gum
homemade rice milk buttermilk
they turned out perfect & delicious :) millet and sorghum are great for scones
oh no help! I am all set to make these, except I forgot to buy cream of tartar. is it super necessary? can I swap some amount of baking powder? do I have to go to the store?
arrg arrg!
I will probably make my tiny brain implode trying to figure this out on limited sleep, but here I go: More or less, 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Thus, if you are without cream of tartar, I believe you can reverse engineer this so that instead of using:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
use:
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
and NO cream of tartar.
Hope that helps!
I just made this with freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour, candied orange peel and some chopped walnuts instead of raisins, and orange zest instead of caraway seeds. I also ended up making two loaves, as the dough was too wet to knead. Next time I might try adding a little all-purpose flour to see if that would help with the consistancy of the dough. Still, it turned out amazing!! I will definetly make this again!
The only breakfast that came close to my grandmother’s soda bread was the less then fresh slices that she slowly fried in butter the next morning.
We made a variation of this for brunch with the folks today. What a sensation! Used tortilla as the base- was quick, light & gorgeous.
I made these twice this past week! Everyone loved them especially my 2 year old son. I used white whole wheat flour and it was fantastic. I loved the idea of using my meat thermometer to test doneness. It took about 20 min to hit 170.
Thank you this recipe will replace my other soda bread recipes :)
Deb: When you form the initial round, how thick should it be? Love your recipes and articles!
Usually about 1-inch thick, though for the appearance here, I made thicker small rounds, like rolls. Hope that helps.
Always a big fan of your recipes, thanks for sharing this! First time I tried it, I found the resulting scone a little dry, and wishing it could be either more sweet or more salty (not sure if that really makes all that much sense!). I opted for the sweet route, and added an extra 1/4 cup sugar as well as an extra 1/4 – 1/3 cup buttermilk, and was really happy with the result. Maybe I’m just used to a sweeter ‘American-Irish’ Soday bread? Not sure if my first attempt was just a botched try or if you or anyone else has noticed anything similar?
Sorry but Soda Bread and Scones are two totally different things and just because you make “mini” loafs it still doesn’t make it a scone. Scones are light and sweet vs Soda Bread which is dense and heavy. Sorry to be critical but if you’ve ever had the real thing in Ireland you wouldn’t try to pass these as scones or bread.
The very first sentence of this post fully declares that this is probably the least authentic version of “soda bread” ever — that it’s American, and has little to do with the real deal.
I made these with no mods today. My family loved them! Thanks for a great recipe,
If you can’t eat them in a day, try toasting, French Toast base, or use in bread pudding! I never toss something as delicious as these sound. The caraway seed in French toast sounds appealing to me right now!
“Oh my God, these are so f-ing good!” That’s what I said when I first bit in to these. So glad I made them tonight, even though it kept the baby up a little later and the kitchen is a mess. I subbed in a cup of rye flour, added cinnamon, and used a mix of raisins and chopped dried apricots. I was skeptical about the caraway, but it adds another interesting dimension. Glad there isn’t too much b.s. taste. Thanks for a great, easy recipe – I will pass it along!
I’ve been making these for 5 years now, every St. Patricks Day, it’s become a family tradition! Everyone always loves them. Thank you!!
Mine were not that pretty, since I didn’t work hard on shaping them for fear of overworking the dough. They tasted good, though, and were a big hit at a work lunch today.
Made these yesterday. Amazing!!! I made half with the currants/caraway and half plain. “Better than biscuits!” declared daughter #2. Hubs wolfed down two last night and another with jam this morning (wrapped in foil and reheated perfectly). My new go-to quick bread recipe!
Easy way to make them good as new the next day (so long as you keep them in an airtight container or bag overnight): heat them in an oven or toaster oven, uncovered, for 8 minutes at 300 degrees. Tried it this morning and they’re just as crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside as yesterday. Delish!
I made these today – they are absolutely delicious! I am delighted with this recipe and will definitely make them again!
oooh! and happy to report that I am loving these today (the day after) just as much, toasted with butter!
Great scones, but they are in fact huge! Thanks for the internal temp tip, I usually don’t use my thermometer for baked goods, but I might start from now on (is 170 a go-to temp for breads/ baked goods?) Thanks for the good recipe, they’ll have a place at my post-St. Patrick’s dinner tonight!
Can’t wait to make these! I just made an Instant Pot corned beef recipe and these would make the perfect dessert pair. thanks!
Fabulous recipe! I wasn’t paying attention and used 6 tbspoons of butter.
Delicious so much tastier than traditional Irish soda bread. Also the scone element is a great twist because it keeps each yummy bundle fresher since a regular loaf of soda bread gets dried out ….like immediately👍
Can these be frozen after made like other beads & cookies I usually do.
Thanks
Philomena Messina
An Italian who loves Irish Scones and soda bread
Can these be frozen after made like other beads & cookies I usually do.
Thanks
Philomena Messina
An Italian who loves Irish Scones and soda bread
Made these for a St Patrick’s Day brunch and they were a huge hit! So delicious. I made them using the quick swaps for both cake flour and buttermilk (using whole milk and white vinegar) and it worked wonderfully. They also freeze nicely after they’re baked, just microwave one for a minute on half power to bring it back to life.
Ahh…they look so scrumptious! Can’t wait to be in Ireland again next month and enjoy some warm scones with some butter and strawberry jam. There is almost nothing tastier than this…
Thank you.
Mine are coming out done on the inside but very light in color on the outside.. any tips?? By the way there absolutely delicious!
I’m Irish and you really did blaspheme Irish bread. These are delicious!
I love American Soda Bread as well and want to try this version in addition to the newer recipe. I don’t have and can’t buy cream of tartar. Can I make due without it? Or is some substitute necessary? Thank you!
My math might need work here but more or less, 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Thus, if you are without cream of tartar, I believe you can reverse engineer this so that instead of using:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
use:
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
and NO cream of tartar.
Hope that helps!
Yes! Thank you!
I used this recipe to make 16 mini scones, baked for a little less time. The tip on checking internal temperature was especially helpful for this. They are delightful!
I *did* need the floured surface; ended up having to scrape gloopy dough off the table and flour, then pour it back out.
Thanks for the recipe!
In the past, when I’ve tried caraway/raisin soda bread, it grossed me out.
A friend requested that type for her party, though, so I tried your recipe. They were not yucky! In fact, they were good, I think because the dough is not overly sweet.
Thank you!
These were delicious! I added brandied raisins and fruits leftover from the holidays (minus the liquid). I also subbed one cup of the AP flour with Rye flour. It turned out great.
I made these twice and they are delicious and a huge hit with my kids. I used a (good quality) thermometer to check doneness, and at 180 degrees the dough was still a little wet- any tips on using thermometers for baked goods?