Irish Soda Bread Scones

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
NCT Patron
(I didn't know where to put this - I'm open to suggestions!)

I love Irish soda bread, but have only made it a couple of times, since I just want a slice or two. I found this recipe to try so I can easily share with my friends.

I've never made scones. Not sure I've ever eaten one, so I didn't know what to expect. Pretty easy, except for the workout I got cutting a stick of cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.

They are delicious! Kind of crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Love 'em!

Can't wait to make blueberry scones when the berries come in to season!

Now I've got to figure out what to do with the rest of the quart of buttermilk.

Lee

Scones.jpeg



Scone open.jpeg





Irish Soda Bread Scones

Ingredients


  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick cold butter
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 cup buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, orange zest, and salt.

In the flour mixture, cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles coarse crumbs. You should see lumps of butter and that is exactly what you want.

With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract until just moistened.

Add raisins.

On a lightly floured surface, knead gently 5 to 10 times until it creates a shaggy dough.

With a 1/3 cup measuring cup or cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and place the mound on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. You should have 6-8 scones. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut a small x into the top of the scone dough.

With a pastry brush, brush the top of the scones with 1 tablespoon of buttermilk, and sprinkle each top with sugar for a little extra sweetness.

Place scones in the oven on the middle rack.

Bake until golden brown, which is about 15-20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.
 
(I didn't know where to put this - I'm open to suggestions!)

I love Irish soda bread, but have only made it a couple of times, since I just want a slice or two. I found this recipe to try so I can easily share with my friends.

I've never made scones. Not sure I've ever eaten one, so I didn't know what to expect. Pretty easy, except for the workout I got cutting a stick of cold butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender.

They are delicious! Kind of crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Love 'em!

Can't wait to make blueberry scones when the berries come in to season!

Now I've got to figure out what to do with the rest of the quart of buttermilk.

Lee
Beautiful!

Tip #1: Freezer the butter, then grate it into the flour and toss.
Tip #2: Freeze the leftover buttermilk in 1 cup containers.
 
Nancy usually uses currents but couldn't find them.

“The first known recipe for scones dates back to 1513 in Scotland, where they were originally made from oats and baked over an open fire. Unlike the sweet, fluffy versions we know today, these early scones were more like griddle cakes—round, flat, and cut into triangular slices. They were often enjoyed as a staple food by the Scots, especially in the Highlands. A curious fact is that scones are believed to have been named after the Stone of Scone, the traditional coronation site of Scottish kings. Over time, scones evolved from their humble origins to become a popular component of afternoon tea, especially in England. Today, they are made with flour and are often served with clotted cream and jam, continuing a centuries-old tradition.”
 
On a deep dive into food history, I discovered that soda bread was first crafted not by the Irish but by Native Americans, who used natural leavening agents to make a quick, rustic bread without yeast. They created bread using pearl ash—a naturally occurring form of potassium carbonate—as a leavening agent, pioneering a technique that would later inspire soda bread recipes worldwide. This natural leavening sparked interest in how indigenous techniques have profoundly influenced modern baking, especially when it comes to the chemistry of bread-making.
 
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