Description
Skillet Irish Soda Bread Minis are charming, individual-sized soda breads infused with fragrant fennel and caraway seeds. These golden, buttery rolls are easy to make in a cast iron skillet, delivering a crispy crust and tender crumb. Perfect for breakfast, tea time, or alongside hearty soups and stews.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare skillet: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously butter a 10-inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the butter to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Mix dry ingredients and add buttermilk: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and crushed fennel and caraway seeds. Create a shallow well in the center and pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, stir to incorporate the flour into the buttermilk. Add additional buttermilk a tablespoon at a time if necessary until the dough just comes together, taking care not to overmix.
- Shape dough: Turn the dough out onto a clean counter. It will be craggly, slightly sticky, and stringy. Wet your hands to prevent sticking, then gently gather and knead the dough quickly into a flattened disk. Divide this disk into 5 or 6 equal pieces, shaping each into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls spaced evenly in the prepared skillet without packing them tightly to allow expansion.
- First bake: Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. This will start to brown the tops and set the shape of the minis.
- Butter topping: While baking, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pot. After 15 minutes, remove the skillet and brush each soda bread mini generously with the melted butter.
- Final bake: Return the skillet to the oven and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the minis are golden with some darker browned peaks and cooked through.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and allow the bread minis to rest until they are cool enough to handle. Split each open and slather with extra butter. Enjoy the warm, buttery, seeded soda breads fresh out of the skillet.
Notes
- Make sure not to overmix the dough to keep the soda bread tender and flaky rather than dense.
- Use cold buttermilk straight from the fridge to help activate the baking soda effectively.
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet, a heavy ovenproof skillet or baking dish will work, but the cast iron provides best crust.
- The fennel and caraway seeds add aromatic flavor but can be adjusted or omitted for a plainer bread.
- Brush with melted butter immediately after baking to keep the crust soft and add richness.
- These minis are best enjoyed the day they are made but can be stored wrapped overnight and reheated gently.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini bread (approx. 85 g)
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
