Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (2024)

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The best Irish soda bread scones recipe is this one for sure! With a spin on the traditional Irish soda bread, these scones have a crispy golden crust and are filled with tender, fluffy layers of dough, raisins, and orange zest! This easy recipe tastes like your favorite Irish soda bread and is perfect for celebrating the St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (1)

Irish soda scones are traditionally baked with dried currants and caraway seeds. I put a twist on this traditional recipe by leaving both of those ingredients out and replacing them with sweet raisins and adding orange zest. The outcome is absolutely delicious and I love that this recipe tastes just like this soda bread recipe only in scone form!

With a few simple ingredients, you can bake scones that are tender and flavorful and the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

If this is your first time making scones don't be nervous. Check out myMaster Scone Recipeto get started. It has helpful tips for making any scone recipe whether sweet orsavory! Scones are really easy to make and I will walk you through them step by step so you will have a nice, fluffy, and tender scone, one that will rival any coffee shop!

Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (2)

Tools for baking

Before we start to make our homemade scones, it is a great idea to prep our work surface with the ingredients and items we will be using. Here are my go-to baking tools I use for every batch of the best scones.

  • Pastry blenderwe mention this item with every single recipe because it is THE item that will ensure a fluffy outcome for your scones. You can use 2 knives or your hands, but a pastry blender or pastry cutter is best.
  • Parchment papera baking sheet lined with parchment paper is not only great for non-stick baking, but it is also awesome for easy cleanup! No pan scrubbing is needed!
  • Mixing bowlshould be alarge mixing bowlif you want to make this a one-bowl recipe! I mix and also knead the scone dough right in the bowl before turning it out onto a floured surface.
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The secret to Making Good Scones

First, let's go overTHREE VERY IMPORTANT THINGSyouMUST DO to ensure a perfect flaky scone:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees for at least 20 minutes before baking. A hot oven will help your scones rise tall instead of being flat.
  2. Make sure you're using COLD butter. It does not matter if you use cold unsalted butter or salted butter, but it MUST BE COLD. As the butter melts it will allow for air to create flaky scones
  3. Minimal handling of the dough. The more you knead the scone dough, the tougher it becomes and you will end up with a flat, hard scone.
Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (4)

Irish Scone ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chilled butter, cut into small pieces
  • Buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon
  • Raisins
  • Orange zest

How to make Irish scones recipe

Grab your cup of coffee or tea ready and get these tasty drop scones into the oven and soon you will be enjoying nice warm and tender scones!

As I mentioned above in the Baking tips section, it is important to preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Be sure to do this at least 20 minutes before you intend to bake.

We are going to mix our dry ingredients first. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, orange zest, and salt.

Now, in the flour mixture, we are going to cut in the 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.

Next, we are going to add our wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk and vanilla extract until just moistened.If you only have heavy cream That is ok too.

Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (5)
Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (6)
Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (7)

Before kneading the dough, gently fold in the 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. I can usually fit all eight on a large baking sheet.

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With apastry 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.

Serve a warm scone with your cup of hot tea or coffee!

If you have any leftovers, store scones in anairtight containerin the freezer for up to 3 months, or you can keep them on the counter at room temperature loosely covered with a sheet of plastic wrap.

Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (9)

Ingredient substitutions to make soda bread scone

  • Flour– you can easily make these gluten-free scones by substituting the all-purpose flour with a one-for-one gluten-free flour. You can use Bob's Red Mill or my favorite King Arthur brand, which you can find in most grocery stores.
  • Butter– I like baking withEarth Balance vegan sticks. Place in the freezer to ensure it is super cold because this tends to be a little softer than regular butter. Cut into small cubes before cutting into flour mixture.
  • Orange Juice-If you only have orange juice, you can substitute the zest. Use 1/4 cup of juice for a bit of orange flavor.
  • Buttermilk-You can use any soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk in place of buttermilk. You can also make your own buttermilk with 1 cup of regular milk and 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes and then be ready to use!
  • Currants- A true recipe for soda bread will have currants but they can be hard to find at times. I've substituted raisins or golden raisins and this savory scone tastes great.

Other scone recipes you should try:lemon blueberry scones,best cranberry scones,fresh peach scones,fresh strawberry scones,cinnamon chip scones,carrot cake scones,

St. Patrick's Day scones recipe

This Irish soda bread scones recipe creates the flakiest scones and should be on your table for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast. These are large scones and are perfect to enjoy with your favorite jam, butter, or clotted cream.

Top FAQ

What Does Adding Egg Do To Scones?

Adding an egg to scones helps to bind ingredients together. Some seem to think that it adds richness to the flavor, however, I found the best results are when I don't add an egg. That's why the texture of the scones is full of layers and super flaky.

What is the Best Temp For Baking Scones?

Setting the oven to 425 degrees I have found to be the best temperature for baking our easy scones recipe. As mentioned in our baking tips sections, it is important to bake your scones in a preheated, hot oven. This helps to release steam from the butter when baking creating layers of tender scone.

Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (11)
Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (12)

Irish Soda Bread Scones

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This easy recipe tastes like your favorite Irish soda bread and is perfect for celebrating the St. Patrick's Day festivities. Scones have a crispy golden crust and are filled with tender, fluffy layers of dough, raisins, and orange zest!

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 apastry 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.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 289Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 444mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

We would love to see your scone creations! Tag us on Instagram @thesconeblog & use the hashtag #thesconeblog. You can also share on Pinterest & Facebook by clicking the buttons below!

Irish Soda Bread Scones Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when Irish soda bread is done baking? ›

Cover and bake until well risen and golden, 45 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until chestnut brown, with an internal temperature of 210°F (99°C), 12 to 15 minutes longer.

Are scones and soda bread the same? ›

But what is soda bread? Some say it resembles more of a scone than bread since it doesn't contain any yeast. You can find hundreds of different recipes—some include caraway, and others even add eggs.

Why is my Irish soda bread gummy? ›

And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.

Why did my Irish soda bread fall apart? ›

If your Irish soda bread is too crumbly, it may be because you overmixed the dough. Another possibility is that your baking soda was expired and should be replaced. Make sure you are using the correct amount of baking soda in the recipe. Too much or too little can result in a crumbly loaf.

Why is my Irish soda bread so dry? ›

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

Should Irish soda bread dough be sticky? ›

You're looking for a dough that's soft but not overly sticky or wet, and that holds together enough to make a loaf that can hold its shape on the sheet pan. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add up to 1/2 cup additional buttermilk, a tablespoon or so at a time, until it comes together.

What is a substitute for baking soda in scones? ›

If you don't have baking soda, you can use baking powder, at three times what the recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for one teaspoon of baking soda, you can use three teaspoons of baking powder. Baking powder also contains a little bit of salt, so it's also a good idea to halve the salt the recipe calls for.

What are some facts about Irish soda bread? ›

While soda bread is most famously attributed to Ireland, it was actually first created by Native Americans. They were the first to be documented using pearl ash, a natural form of soda formed from the ashes of wood, to leaven their bread without yeast. The Irish later discovered and replicated the process.

What is another name for Irish soda bread? ›

Irish soda bread has a couple of other names, too: When we attended a class at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, they made this loaf and called it a Spotted Dog. It's also called white soda bread, American Irish soda bread, or fruit soda bread.

Should you refrigerate Irish soda bread? ›

Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.

What's the best way to eat Irish soda bread? ›

How to Eat Irish Soda Bread. This versatile bread works for any meal, but Irish soda bread is a natural for breakfast, whether simply spread with (Irish) butter and jam or alongside that hearty fry-up known as a full Irish breakfast. It's also wonderful with a cup of tea in the afternoon or as a late-night snack.

Is Irish soda bread bad for you? ›

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

What's the difference between Irish bread and Irish soda bread? ›

Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

What flour is soda bread made from? ›

Soda bread can be made with white or brown flour, although, as David points out in her English Bread and Yeast Cookery, there is little point using strong bread flour here: the Irish often talk of a "cake" of brown bread, which gives you a fair idea of the texture to aim for.

Why is my Irish soda bread raw in the middle? ›

Why is my brown soda bread doughy in the middle? This is likely due to not baking the bread long enough, or at a hot enough temperature.

Can you overcook soda bread? ›

Remember the golden rule. You can undercook bread but you can't really overcook it unless you have a mind to. Remove from the oven when you are happy the loaves sound hollow and are cooked all through. Place on trivet to cool.

Can you over knead soda bread? ›

Seriously, as with all breads that do not have yeast, you won't want to overwork your dough. If you feel like you have to knead the dough together, don't knead more than 5-6 times, max. Too much kneading will create a hard dense crumb on the bread.

Should you toast Irish soda bread? ›

Although soda bread is ideal for serving at room temperature, it is better to serve it warm. The thick and cakey texture of the bread and warm temperature brings out its hearty flavors. If you can't have it fresh from the over at least have it toasted.

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