Mary's Scones or Soda Bread

Mary's Scones or Soda Bread

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Optional:1/2 stick butter. (if you use soured cream, you do not need butter.)

3 cups •sour cream or 2 ½ sour milk or buttermilk.
• by sour cream I mean cream that has naturally gone sour . Not commercial cultured sour cream. Naturally soured cream and milk has little or no lactose.
You may need less volume of liquid if using Milk or buttermilk simply because it is thinner than cream.

Method:

Heat the oven to 410º F ie a hot oven. If you are baking at a lower altitude you will need to lower the temperature.

Mix &/or sieve the dry ingredients together. If you are using butter, crumble it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the liquid (soured cream/ milk or buttermilk , little by little, by hand, until the mixture holds together Again at a lower altitude . It should be moist but not overly sticky. Do not over mix.

Turn out onto a floured board.

Knead slightly until the dough comes together. Flatten it to about 1-11/4 in high circle.

Cut into desired shapes and place on a baking tray into a hot oven.
Bake for 30 mins. However if you have made small scones, then check from 25 min on. It can take up to 40 mins for the scones to be done.
NB The time between adding liquids and placing in oven MUST be minimal!!

Notes:

  1. Irish scones have many variations so feel free to play by adding fruit or oatmeal or nuts.
  2. Flour can be a mix of wheat flour and white flour. I like a 1 cup whole meal to 3 cups white mix but you can go heavier if desired. It may change your liquid needs.
  3. Milk or cream that has gone naturally sour has little or no lactose. Like buttermilk it works well with baking soda as a rising agent as those milks are acidic in nature.
  4. Soda and cream of tartar are a good rising agent as Cream of tartar is acidic and works with the baking soda to help rise.
  5. If you don’t have sour milk or cream or have buttermilk available, you can instead:
    1. Use ordinary milk or even soy milk etc. and add a teaspoon of lemon juice or ½ teaspoon white vinegar to the liquid and let it stand for 20 mins.
    2. You can use fresh milk and baking powder.. Substitute the baking powder for the baking soda and cream of tartar.
  6. This mix will also work to make a Soda Bread loaf. Shape the dough into a round with your hands and with a sharp knife either cut a cross on top (helps it rise) or cut into ¼’s and make smaller soda bread “triangles”. Both are traditional shapes in Ireland. Cook for about 45 min but check from 30 min on if you are making small loaves. The bread is done when the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom.