Top of the morning to ya, friends! With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to embrace all things Irish. And what better way to do that than with some delicious Irish soda bread scones? These scones are a fun and tasty twist on the classic Irish soda bread, and they’re sure to impress at any brunch gathering.
First things first, let’s talk about what makes Irish soda bread so special. This traditional bread is made with simple ingredients like flour, baking soda, buttermilk, and salt. Because it doesn’t contain yeast, it doesn’t need to rise, making it a quick and easy bread to make. It’s also known for its crusty exterior and soft, tender interior.
Now, let’s take that delicious bread and turn it into scones. The process is similar to making regular scones, but I’ll be incorporating some of those classic Irish soda bread ingredients for a unique twist. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp, sea salt
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) frozen unsalted butter, grated
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup currants or raisins (optional)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg,
- 1 egg for egg wash
- ¼ cup of raw sugar
Start by preheating your oven to 400℉. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure to place a stick of butter in your freezer for at least 20 minutes before using it. I usually place it in the freezer the night before if I know that I making this recipe ahead of time. Grate butter into a bowl and then add to the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using frozen grated butter in a scones recipe is key because it helps create a flaky and tender texture in the scones by keeping the butter cold and preventing it from fully incorporating into the dough. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. The dough will be very sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until it comes together into a ball.
Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut dough into pieces until no more dough is left. You may also cut the circle into 8 wedges and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the scones with the beaten egg and water. Eggwash scones to give them a golden brown and shiny appearance on the surface.
Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and place the scones on a cooling rack and let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
Make Ahead
If you’re looking to save time, you can make this recipe the day before. Prepare the recipe and refrigerate for up to one day before. Remove them from the refrigerator and bake them in the oven.
Freezing Dough
If you’re looking to stock up or make these ahead of time, place scones on a baking sheet and let them freeze all the way through for up to 3 hours. Then, remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, let them defrost and bake accordingly.
Freezing Scones
These scones are great for freezing after they have been baked as well. Allow them to cool completely before freezing. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost all the way through and place them in the oven or air fryer and warm them up. I love to cut them in half and toast them until golden brown with some butter and jam. They’re delicious!
These Irish soda bread scones are delicious on their own, but you could also serve them with some softened butter or a dollop of jam. I love eating these with butter and apricot jam. They’re so delicious. Looking for a great coffee to pair these with? Try my Nutty Irish Woman Latte.
So there you have it, a fun and easy way to incorporate Irish soda bread into your breakfast or brunch routine. I hope you enjoy these scones as much as I do.
Have fun with this recipe. Feel free to share what you have done in the comments below or share a picture of you enjoying this delicious meal!
For more scone recipes, check out my Flaky, Buttery, and Easy to Make Blueberry Scones, Sun-Kissed Delight: How to Make the Perfect Orange Scones
Also, check out my Easy and Delicious: Learn How to Make Homemade Irish Soda Bread recipe.
Bom apetite! Enjoy your meal!
To stay connected with my weekly content, subscribe to my Newsletter down below!
Irish Soda Bread Scones
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 1 mixer
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea saltt
- 1 stick 8 tbsp frozen unsalted butter, grated
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup currants or raisins optional
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ¼ cup of raw sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well.
- Add grated butter, orange zest, currants or raisins, buttermilk, and 1 egg. Miz well.
- Place on a well-floured surface.
- Knead dough a few times.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 10’ circle about ½” thick.
- Using a round cookie cutter, begin cutting into the dough until you can’t cut anymore.
- Knead the remaining dough once again, rolling it out into a circle shape, and continue to cut out until no more dough is left.
- Place on a baking sheet.
- Using a small whisk, combine 1 egg, and 1 tbsp of water and mix well.
- Using a bating brush apply egg wash on all scones.
- Sprinkle raw sugar on all scones.
- Bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and place on cooling rack until completely cooled.
- Eat with butter and/or jam. Apricot jam is a great topping.
Leave a Reply