Recipe: Soda Bread [Muffins]

“Can Dave make his Soda Bread Muffins for us?” That’s a question we hear a lot from return guests at the Inn on Mill Creek Bed & Breakfast. Soda Bread (or its equally delish counterpart, the Soda Bread Muffin) is like the food version of the color white — it goes with everything. And it can be served at any meal, although we’re partial to breakfast for obvious reasons. The best part about this beautiful baked good is that Soda Bread is really easy to make. You probably already have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your kitchen.

First a disclaimer: Even though Innkeeper Brigette is part-Irish, we’re not Soda Bread traditionalists here at the Inn on Mill Creek, so you’ll find both sugar and sour cream in our recipe. Also of note, our recipe is for the more popular muffin version of the Inn on Mill Creek’s Soda Bread, but as the photo above shows, we also do the “mini-loaf” with the same recipe. If making the loaf version, just bump up your baking time by a few minutes.

Soda Bread Muffins
from the Inn on Mill Creek Bed & Breakfast
Prep+bake time: 45 minutes / Makes 10 large muffins

Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients

DRY (sifted together)
3 cups all-purpose flour*
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar

WET
1 large egg
4 tablespoons butter (melted)
2-1/3 cups buttermilk
1 dollop sour cream

Directions

1. Whisk together eggs and butter.
2. Whisk in buttermilk and sour cream into the egg/butter mixture.
3. Gently combine wet mixture with dry ingredients.
4. Lightly coat muffin tins with baking spray, and fill each 3/4 full with batter.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Wonder why Soda Bread is called Soda Bread? Wonder no more: Soda Bread is a quick bread made with baking soda as its leavening agent, rather than yeast. Fun food science fact: The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide, and that’s what makes it rise.

* For gluten free guests, Dave makes a great gluten free Soda Bread Muffins using King Arthur Gluten Free Flour.