Irish Soda Buns with Caraway and Dried Cranberries

It was Wednesday morning and I was having breakfast while reading the New York Times food section when I saw Melissa Clark’s Irish Soda Buns. The recipe caught my eye because she uses a portion of whole wheat pastry flour and makes mini buns instead of one big loaf. When I posted about making them on Facebook, Maggy immediately commented that she wanted in. “Great!” I responded, “We can make them together this weekend.” So I went to Whole Foods to pick up the ingredients and maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough or in the right section, but the currants evaded me. I settled on dried cranberries which I knew would be equally good and maybe even more attractive.

I started following Melissa’s recipe and then remembered I had one. So I incorporated the two things I loved about her version (the whole wheat flour and bun-size) into my own recipe which I defaulted to because of its simplicity. We’re currently making our second batch which we’ll freeze for now and then enjoy with family and friends on Sunday.

Irish Soda Buns with Caraway and Dried Cranberries

 

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by: Three Many Cooks

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¾ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1½ cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix flours, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, then add cranberries and caraway seeds and toss to combine. Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until dough resembles small tatters of cloth.
2. Using hands, briefly knead dough in bowl to form a rough 8-inch ball. Turn onto a floured work surface and cut dough into 12 equal portions. Gently roll each portion to form a rough ball. Place on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

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