Irish Soda Bread Muffins (Printable)
Tender muffins with the flavors of Irish soda bread, enhanced by juicy currants for a simple treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup whole wheat flour
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
→ Add-ins
10 - 3/4 cup dried currants
11 - 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
# How-to Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and melted butter until thoroughly combined.
04 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add currants and orange zest if using. Gently fold together until just combined; do not overmix.
05 - Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
06 - Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- You get all the comfort of Irish soda bread in under 40 minutes, start to finish
- The texture is impossibly tender while still having that rustic, wholesome character you want from soda bread
- They're barely sweet, which means they're perfect with salted butter or jam, or just plain with coffee
02 -
- Overmixing is the enemy here. Once the flour is moistened, stop folding. Tough muffins come from overdeveloped gluten.
- The baking time can vary by oven. Start checking at 18 minutes, and if they're browning too quickly, tent the pan with foil for the last few minutes.
- Room temperature ingredients combine more easily and create a more uniform texture, so take the egg and buttermilk out about 20 minutes before you start.
03 -
- Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for a bakery-style crunch
- For extra-tender muffins, let the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking