Irish Soda Hot Crossed Buns
Who am I to not haul myself up onto the St. Paddy’s Day bandwagon with something green or Irish? I can’t do green beer, but I can manage a fresh loaf of bread. Or buns.
It occurred to me as I lay in bed last night far past midnight, trying to convince my brain to quiet and let me sleep, that an Irish soda loaf looks an awful lot like a giant, rustic hot crossed bun. Don’t you think? Big and round, with the X slashed across the top? And although I do love from-scratch hot crossed buns, soda bread is quick (leavened not with yeast, but containing in fact more baking powder than soda) and thus something that can be mixed and baked in the wee hours of the morning while everyone else is still asleep.
I added grated orange zest and currants, which remind me of my Grandma (although I have no memory of her making Irish soda bread nor hot crossed buns), but you could add chopped candied citron and golden raisins or whatever you might be inclined to add to a hot crossed bun. I shaped the sticky dough into rough balls, slashed Xs on them with a serrated knife, brushed them with buttermilk and sprinkled their tops with coarse sugar. They came out much like drop biscuits/scones, but with far less fat (1/4 cup to 4 cups of flour). I liked their texture and way they spread; if you’re inclined to have them hold their shape a little better, add about 1/2 cup more flour.
Irish Soda Hot Crossed Buns
AuthorJuliePreheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, measure and stir together all the dry ingredients – the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter (or pulse it in a food processor) until well blended.
In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, egg and orange zest, and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until it’s about halfway mixed, then add the currants and stir just until combined.
Sprinkle the countertop with flour or oats and gently knead the dough, folding it over itself about 10 times, then either shape it into a ball (for a single Irish soda loaf) or divide it into balls about the size of a plum or small orange. Arrange about an inch apart on a rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Brush the top (or tops) with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar; cut an ‘X’ lightly on the top using a sharp serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes for a large loaf, 30 minutes for small buns, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, measure and stir together all the dry ingredients – the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the butter (or pulse it in a food processor) until well blended.
In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, egg and orange zest, and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until it’s about halfway mixed, then add the currants and stir just until combined.
Sprinkle the countertop with flour or oats and gently knead the dough, folding it over itself about 10 times, then either shape it into a ball (for a single Irish soda loaf) or divide it into balls about the size of a plum or small orange. Arrange about an inch apart on a rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Brush the top (or tops) with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar; cut an ‘X’ lightly on the top using a sharp serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes for a large loaf, 30 minutes for small buns, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
One Year Ago: Third-Month-of-the-Year-Cake
Gorgeous bread and love the added orange. I had the pleasure of attending an Irish baking class a few weeks back and learned that the X slashed across the top was believed to let the fairies out when baking. A good luck tradition, that actually helped the bread rise.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day Julie where we are all Irish for one day…if only I had some soda bread for breakfast the day would start off well.
Nice buns, Julie! Hot, even. 🙂
I made soda bread for the office this morning, served with butter peach conserve that I made last summer. The taste of warmer days!
Thanks for this recipe. I may try this one for my St. Patrick’s Day party on Friday night.
You’re not in the neighbourhood by any chance, huh?
Slainte!
Looks so great! I love the individual serving size of these. I recently read that Irish Soda bread was traditionally served with warm butter and pomegranate jelly – both would go great with your addition of orange and current – or at least I think so!
Oooo What a great idea for today!
I love when you post low fat recipes. Can’t wait to try this!
Had Irish soda bread for the first time tonight…that and something called Dublin Coddle?? My father decided to start an Irish dinner tradition on st. paddys day. That and a guinness of course…. 🙂
“hot crossed buns; hot crossed buns. see how they run; see how they run”.
Great one!
I’ve always wondered what Hot Cross Buns were, I mean you hear the song but you never really know what’s going on there. Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it out!
I am new in baking bread and still learning. I have a question, can I make this bread using unbleached wheat bread flour? Thanks
Ester – absolutely!