Irish Soda Bread Scones (Printer-friendly)

Tender, crumbly Irish soda bread scones with raisins and caraway seeds, baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll 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 cold buttermilk
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

→ Topping

12 - 2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing
13 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (optional)

# How to Prepare:

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 until well blended.
03 - Add cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
04 - Stir in raisins or currants and caraway seeds if using until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg until fully incorporated.
06 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix as this will result in tough scones.
07 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 equal wedges or use a round cutter for traditional shapes.
08 - Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each. Brush tops with buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Let scones cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with salted butter and jam.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They come together faster than you can brew a proper pot of tea
  • The texture is somewhere between a scone and traditional soda bread, the best of both worlds
  • Freezes beautifully so you can pretend you baked fresh all week
02 -
  • Butter must be cold, like really cold, or you lose the flaky texture
  • Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears, toughness comes from overworking
  • The dough should feel slightly sticky and shaggy, not smooth like bread dough
03 -
  • Use a light hand when patting out the dough, heavy pressure makes dense scones
  • If you dont have buttermilk, mix regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes

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