Soda Bread Biscuits Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet you want them)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds*
- 1/2 to 1 cup of raisins*
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk**
*These add-ins are entirely optional. You could just do plain biscuits, or add in a teaspoon of orange zest, lemon zest, or a couple tablespoons of chopped candied ginger, or a teaspoon of minced rosemary. Have fun with it!
**You can substitute the 1 1/4 cups buttermilk with 1 cup 3 Tbsp of regular whole milk mixed with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar.
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a standard muffin pan.
2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3 Cut the butter into tablespoon sized pieces into the bowl of flour. Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour, schmooshing (is that a technical term?) the butter between your fingers and mixing with the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. If you are using raisins, caraway seeds, or any other add-ins, mix them into the mixture now.
4 Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the buttermilk into the center of the well. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the flour into the buttermilk until the flour is moistened with the buttermilk. Then use your hands to form the mixture into a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky ball of dough. The dough should be a little sticky, if it's too dry, add a tablespoon more of buttermilk. If it's just too wet to handle, add a sprinkling more of flour. Do not over-mix! And at this point work quickly. As soon as the acidic buttermilk interacts with the alkaline baking soda, bubbles will form and leavening will start.
5 Break off 12-equal portions of the dough and place them in the wells of the muffin tin. Put in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes in the pan. Remove the biscuits from the muffin tin to a rack to cool for a few minutes more.
Serve with butter and jam.
Yield: Makes 12 biscuits.
