Description
These Skillet Irish Soda Bread Minis are soft, golden, and infused with the distinct flavors of fennel and caraway seeds. Perfectly baked in a cast iron skillet, they offer a rustic homemade taste with a tender crumb, ideal for serving warm with butter for a delightful snack or side.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Bread Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons crushed fennel and caraway seeds
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
For Baking
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare skillet: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use 1 tablespoon of butter to thoroughly butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Mix dry ingredients and add buttermilk: In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and crushed fennel and caraway seeds. Make a shallow well in the center and pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the flour into the buttermilk, adding more buttermilk one tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry, just until it comes together without overmixing.
- Knead and shape dough: Turn the sticky, slightly stringy dough out onto a clean countertop. Wet your hands to prevent sticking, gather the dough, and knead it gently into a flattened disk. Divide the disk into 5 or 6 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Arrange these dough balls in the prepared skillet, spacing them but not packing too tightly.
- Bake first phase: Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the tops as they should begin to brown at this point.
- Butter and finish baking: While the bread bakes, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pot. After the initial 15 minutes, remove the skillet from the oven and brush each bread ball generously with the melted butter. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the minis are golden with nicely browned peaks.
- Rest and serve: Remove the bread from the oven and let them rest briefly until cool enough to handle. Split open each mini and slather with more butter to enjoy the full rich flavor and soft texture.
Notes
- Use cold butter to butter the skillet for easier handling and better coating.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- Do not overmix the dough to keep the bread tender; the texture should be a little rough and sticky.
- Use a cast iron skillet for the best crust and even baking, but an oven-safe dish can be substituted.
- Brush with additional melted butter for a soft crust, or omit for a crisper exterior.
- These minis are best eaten warm but can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days and warmed before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini bread (about 75 g)
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
