Description
These Skillet Irish Soda Bread Minis are a delightful twist on traditional Irish soda bread, baked in a cast iron skillet to achieve a perfect golden crust. Infused with fragrant crushed fennel and caraway seeds, these buttery, slightly tangy bread rolls are quick to prepare and perfect for enjoying warm with butter or alongside your favorite meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons crushed fennel and caraway seeds
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
Fat
- 3 tablespoons butter (divided: 1 tablespoon for skillet, 2 tablespoons for brushing)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Skillet. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Generously butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and crushed fennel and caraway seeds. Stir them together evenly.
- Add Buttermilk and Form Dough. Make a shallow well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the flour. Add more buttermilk one tablespoon at a time if needed until the dough just comes together. Avoid over-mixing to keep the bread tender.
- Knead and Shape Dough. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter. The dough will be craggly and slightly sticky. Wet your hands and knead the dough lightly into a flattened disk. Divide the dough into 5 or 6 roughly equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
- Arrange and Bake. Place dough balls in the buttered skillet, leaving a little space between them. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the tops start to brown.
- Brush with Butter and Continue Baking. While baking, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pot. After 15 minutes, remove the skillet from the oven and brush each bread mini generously with the melted butter. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown with some browned peaks.
- Rest and Serve. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the soda bread minis rest until cool enough to handle. Split them open and spread with more butter if desired. Enjoy the warm, aromatic bread immediately.
Notes
- Use slightly cold buttermilk for best results to control dough consistency.
- Do not overwork the dough to keep the bread light and tender.
- Cast iron skillet helps deliver a beautifully browned crust but a heavy oven-safe pan can be substituted.
- The fennel and caraway seeds add distinctive flavor, but you may adjust or omit according to preference.
- If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute with milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes.
- These minis are best eaten fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheated gently.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
