Description
These Soda Bread Biscuits are a delightful twist on traditional Irish soda bread, featuring a tender crumb, a hint of sweetness, and optional add-ins like raisins and caraway seeds. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack, they are easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and bake quickly in a muffin tin for convenient portioning.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 cup raisins (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the all purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and kosher salt to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
- Cut in Butter: Cut the room temperature unsalted butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and add them to the dry ingredients. Using clean fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture by schmooshing and rubbing between your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with some pea-sized bits.
- Add Optional Ingredients: If using raisins and caraway seeds, fold them gently into the flour and butter mixture now, ensuring even distribution.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Use a wooden spoon to gently start incorporating the flour into the buttermilk until just moistened. Then use your hands to quickly bring the dough together into a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky ball. If the dough is too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon more buttermilk; if too wet, add a little more flour. Be careful not to over-mix to preserve tenderness.
- Shape and Portion: Break off the dough into 12 equal portions, shaping each into a rough biscuit, and place each piece into the prepared muffin pan wells.
- Bake: Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 13 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned and the biscuits sound hollow when tapped.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven and let the biscuits cool for a couple of minutes in the pan. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool a bit more. Serve warm with butter and jam for a comforting treat.
Notes
- For a less sweet biscuit, reduce sugar to 1/4 cup according to your preference.
- Caraway seeds add a traditional Irish flavor but can be omitted or replaced with other spices like anise or fennel seeds.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 1/4 cups milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- Work quickly after adding buttermilk to activate the baking soda and ensure good rise.
- These biscuits are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to a month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 biscuit
- Calories: 264 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 261 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
