Description
These Irish Soda Bread Muffins are a delightful twist on the traditional Irish soda bread, offering a tender, moist crumb with a slightly sweet note from raisins. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy snack, these muffins are quick to prepare and baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice or Vinegar (to sour the milk, if you don’t have buttermilk)
Optional
- 1/2 cup Raisins (optional, but traditional for Irish soda bread)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners to prevent sticking.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir together until evenly distributed.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and lemon juice or vinegar (if you don’t have buttermilk). The lemon juice or vinegar will help sour the milk to mimic buttermilk.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Gently stir with a spoon or spatula just until combined. The dough should be somewhat lumpy — avoid overmixing to keep the muffins tender.
- Fold in Raisins: If using, fold the raisins into the batter evenly.
- Scoop the Batter into Muffin Tin: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
- Bake the Muffins: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with butter or jam.
Notes
- Use cold butter for a flakier texture; don’t overwork the dough.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, soured milk made with lemon juice or vinegar works just as well.
- Raisins are traditional but optional; you can substitute with currants or omit entirely.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins.
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
