Description
These Irish Soda Bread Muffins are a delightful twist on the traditional Irish soda bread, offering a soft, tender crumb with the classic tang from buttermilk and a touch of sweetness from raisins. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, they are quick to prepare and bake in muffins tins for easy serving.
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 Ingredient
- 1/2 cup Raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with muffin liners to prevent sticking.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.
- Add Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, and lemon juice or vinegar. Stir until well blended.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir gently with a spoon or spatula just until combined. Be careful not to overmix—the batter should be somewhat lumpy to ensure tender muffins.
- Fold in Raisins: Gently fold the optional raisins into the batter until evenly distributed without overworking the dough.
- Scoop the Batter into Muffin Tin: Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
- Bake the Muffins: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or serve warm with butter.
Notes
- Use cold butter to create a flaky texture in the muffins.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, sour regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough muffins.
- Raisins are optional but add a traditional touch and sweetness.
- These muffins freeze well; wrap tightly and thaw before serving.
