Irish Soda Scones

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Irish Soda Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour, (or a mixture of whole wheat flour and white all

purpose flour)

1 tablespoon ranulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

 

 

 

Preheat oven to to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of

oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a

well in the center of the flour mixture and add most of the buttermilk. Using

one hand, or a wooden spoon, mix (adding more buttermilk if necessary) until you

have a soft, moist dough.

 

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a 7 - 8

inch (18 - 23 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. Cut this circle

into 6 triangular sections. Place the scones on your prepared baking sheet and

brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk and then dust with a little extra

flour. This gives the baked scones a wonderful floury brown crust.

 

Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into

the center of a scone comes out clean. Test by tapping the bottom of a scone -

it should sound hollow. Remove from oven. These scones are best served warm

from the oven with a little butter and jam.

 

Makes 6 large scones.

 

Source: Stephanie Jaworski for Joy of Baking

Formatted by Chupa Babi: 06.03.08

 

" Soda bread has been a specialty of Ireland for over a century. As its name

implies, 'soda' bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from 'baking soda'

(bicarbonate of soda). It belongs to the family of 'quick' breads, like scones,

and contains baking soda along with flour (all purpose and/or whole wheat),

salt, and buttermilk (or soured milk). When raisins (currants or sultanas) and a

little sugar are added to the dough the name changes to Spotted Dick or Spotted

Dog.

 

For this recipe I have decided to make scones instead of a usual round of bread.

You can use all white flour, all brown flour, or a combination of the two

flours. The important thing to remember when making soda bread is to have a

quick light hand because baking soda starts to react as soon as it becomes wet.

So get the scones into the oven as soon as possible. Also, these scones contain

buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste

that makes baked goods tender. Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over

after churning butter it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole,

skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon

of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let

stand 5 to 10 minutes before using. "

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