Individual Irish Soda Breads

Sweet, a little salty, and so easy to make, Irish Soda Bread reigns supreme when it comes to mastering the art of quick breads. Today we're breaking down the super simple process and preparing mini loaves of this traditional favorite.

Shockingly for a bread so simple to make, there are a lot of variations, and if we're talking about 'traditional' Irish Soda Bread, the authentic loaves are even more simple than the ones we're used to indulging in. Raisins and currents aren't exactly a traditional part of the recipe, but growing up I never had Irish Soda Bread without them. For today's recipe, I didn't add quite as much as most recipes call for, but just enough for a little extra surprise sweetness.

It's a wonder to me why we only make certain dishes once a year- like stuffing (or dressing). It's one of my favorite holiday dishes yet we make it only for Thanksgiving. I feel the same way with Irish Soda Bread. It's so easy to make, perfect alongside eggs in the morning or a heartier meal at night, yet we only seem to serve it for St. Patrick's Day, but I digress, as I usually do...

As the name suggests, this bread is yeast-free, depending only on baking soda and buttermilk for its leavening. There are some recipes out there that call for an egg as well, but I find the egg gratuitous. It's an unnecessary ingredient if I'm being frank. Without it, the loaves hold their shape beautifully, furthermore, they come out lighter and softer in my opinion. Think of it as just one less ingredient you need to worry about.

Speaking of ingredients let's talk two slight changes here that will make a bigger impact on your bread. To start, I used cake flour because I wanted a finer flour for a softer bread. Secondly, I used toasted sugar which is a relatively simple process that gives the bread a subtle caramel-like depth of flavor. Here's a quick guide on toasting sugar. Keep a close eye and make sure it doesn't start to break down and liquify.

The next debate is how to serve your Irish Soda Bread. My answer is simple- do what makes you happy. I indulge in it almost as if it were a scone- I love a slice warmed in the morning with a pat of butter and preserves. It's just as delicious served alongside a savory meal like soup, corned beef (obviously), and any other cut of meat as well.

Note that if you want a plainer bread, skip sprinkling the additional toasted sugar on top. Simply brush with milk and bake until golden. This recipe can yield 1 large loaf or 4 individual loaves which are a nice way to change things up for the holiday.

Now, without further adieu, let's get right to the recipe. I hope you try it today and enjoy it all year round!

Individual Irish Soda Breads

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5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Living the Gourmet
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 1 large loaf or 4 individual loaves 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups cake flour (see recipe notes on making your own)
• 3 tablespoons toasted sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see recipe notes on how to make sour milk
• 1/3 cup raisins (you can add 1/2 if you like more raisins in your bread)

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a small skillet, measure out about 1/4 cup sugar.  Gently heat it on low, keeping a careful eye and stirring it regularly until it has turned a light golden color.  Remove immediately from the heat before it begins to melt and harden.  Transfer to a glass bowl and set aside until ready to use.
• In a large bowl whisk together cake flour, toasted sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Add chilled butter and mix with a pastry blender until the flour mixture has a sand-like consistency.
• Add the buttermilk and stir to combine until you a slightly sticky dough.  Turn out onto a floured work surface and divide the dough in half and then quarters.  Shape the loaves and place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a paring knife, gently make an 'X' shape on top of each loaf.  Brush with milk and sprinkle with extra toasted sugar.
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden.  Remove and let rest on a cooling rack.  Serve warm with butter and jam if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

For homemade cake flour, simply measure out and level 1 cup of all purpose flour.  Remove 2 tablespoons of flour from the cup and replace with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Sift the flour and cornstarch together twice.  *For today's recipe you will want to repeat this process since the recipe calls for 2 cups of cake flour.

For homemade sour milk, combine 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar but white vinegar is fine too).  Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes until the milk and curdled.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes

And that's our recipe for Individual Irish Soda Breads. If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below! We always love hearing from you.

Happy Baking!