SODA BREAD BUNS

Soda Bread Buns image

In this new incarnation of my soda bread recipe, I kept the crosses, but to maximize the surface area of the crumbly, crunchy outer crust, I baked the dough into small buns instead of a large loaf. That way, I was able to get more of the bumpy-textured crust in each bite.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 45m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed, more for greasing pan
155 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/4 cups), more as needed
95 grams whole wheat pastry flour (3/4 cup)
55 grams sugar (1/4 cup)
7 grams baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoons)
5 grams salt (1 teaspoon)
5 grams baking soda (3/4 teaspoon)
2/3 cup buttermilk, more for brushing
1 large egg
90 grams dried currants (about 2/3 cup)
8 grams caraway seeds (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

Steps:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large rimmed baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg. Stir wet mixture into dry one until they just form a moist dough. Stir in currants and caraway seeds.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 7-inch round about 1-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Using lightly floured hands, roll each wedge into a ball and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using kitchen shears, snip a small "x" into the top of each bun. (You can also use a knife.) Brush tops with a little buttermilk, and dust lightly with flour.
Transfer baking sheet to oven. Bake until buns are golden brown and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 223, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 40 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 236 milligrams, Sugar 15 grams, TransFat 0 grams