Irish soda bread scones (Printable)
Tender, crumbly scones featuring buttermilk, raisins, and caraway seeds with a golden crust.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
03 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Mix-ins
07 - 1/2 cup raisins or currants
08 - 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
→ Wet Ingredients
09 - 1 cup buttermilk, cold
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
→ Topping
12 - 2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing
13 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
03 - Add the cold, cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Stir in raisins or currants and caraway seeds, if using.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Pour into the dry mixture and stir just until combined; do not overmix.
06 - Turn dough onto a floured surface. Gently pat into a 1-inch thick circle.
07 - Cut into 8 wedges or use a round cutter for traditional scone shapes.
08 - Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dough comes together in under ten minutes, but they taste like something that took all afternoon
- That perfect balance between tender crumb and rustic heartiness makes them impossible to stop eating
02 -
- Overmixing the dough will make these tough instead of tender, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
- Cold ingredients are non-negotiable—the butter needs to stay solid until it hits the oven
03 -
- If your buttermilk has been sitting in the fridge too long and thickened slightly, that is actually better than ultra-fresh buttermilk
- Weighing your flour instead of measuring by volume will give you more consistent results every time