Irish Soda Bread Scones (Scottish White Bannocks)
Irish soda bread scones, whether they be traditional Irish or Scottish, (also referred to as white bannocks) aren’t just for St Patrick’s Day! After you try this recipe, soda scones may become a favorite in your household quite quickly!
I may ruffle some red hair here, but did you know that Saint Patrick was born in Scotland?
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Do your own google search if you don’t believe me, but it’s true. I’ll give you a minute. See, I told you!
And if that’s not news to you, did you also know that he was Roman? Just like me–born in Scotland to Roman parents! How cool is that? Now that you’ve learned something new, let’s get to the Irish soda bread scones.
I’m going to show you how to make a quick and easy recipe for soda scones to celebrate the day of the patron saint of Ireland. Both the Irish and Scots make these versatile scones, farls, or white bannocks.
Once you try them, I bet you just won’t be making them once a year!
Looking for an Irish cake or dessert recipe? Try my delectable Irish whiskey cake!
How to Serve Irish Soda Bread Scones (or Scottish Bannocks)
Irish soda bread scones, or white bannocks, can be split in half and fried for breakfast. Or they can be served as a traditional afternoon tea scone, with jam and cream, or toasted and spread with some good quality salted butter (I like Kerrygold, and it’s Irish) for a wonderful snack.
Find more Irish recipes here!
My favorite way of eating soda scones is the traditional way: frying them. It’s usually done in the same pan after cooking some bacon (YUM), just like I do with potato scones. This doesn’t necessarily have to be served before 9 am–I mean, who doesn’t have breakfast for dinner now and then?
A few days ago, a friend (who is originally from Scotland) gave me a book to borrow, called Maw Broon’s Cookbook. I LOVE this book! Children in Scotland (including me) used to receive a comic/cartoon book at Christmas called “Oor Wullie” or “The Broons.” Maw Broon (Mother Brown) was the matriarch of “The Broons” (The Browns), and she and Paw had 8 children.
Try Irish rarebit for an easy lunch.
This cookbook is a representation of her supposed actual cookbook, complete with tape, marks, tea stains, handwritten recipes and notes and scribbles and drawings by her “weans” (children).
After perusing the book, I decided to try the Scottish soda scone recipe. Super simple, very quick to make, and almost perfect (I’ve made a few changes–sorry, Maw, noo (now) they’re pehrrrfect!)
How to Make Irish Soda Bread Scones
(Scottish White Bannocks)
adapted from Maw Broon’s Cookbook makes 4 large scones (serves 6-8)
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- flour
- baking soda
- cream of tartar
- salt
- buttermilk
Directions
Sift all the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl, holding the sieve high above the bowl to get as much air into the mixture as possible.
Pour in the buttermilk.
Then mix to a fairly soft dough, first with a spatula, then with your hands. Dough will be a bit sticky, but don’t overwork it, or the scones won’t turn out light.
Roll out onto a floured board and form into a round shape about 1/2″ thick.
Cut into quarters.
Cook the Irish soda bread scones on a hot griddle or non-stick pan on high, for about 5 minutes, then turn, lower the heat and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
These turned out very large, so you can make half the recipe, or make 8 Scottish bannocks with the full recipe, too, if you prefer a smaller size.
You can also cook the entire dough as a whole, just scoring it into quarters first.
Remove from pan and cool slightly before cutting in half (horizontally;) using a fork gives a better texture.
Serve as desired, as part of a Scottish or Irish breakfast, or with afternoon tea, or as a snack, especially for St. Patrick’s Day.
This is another stove top scone recipe you may enjoy, cream girdle scones!
Or my friend Nancy’s Irish Guinness beer bread
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Irish Soda Bread Scones (Scottish White Bannocks)
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp salt
- 12 oz buttermilk
Instructions
- Sift all the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl, holding the sieve high above the bowl to get as much air into the mixture as possible.
- Pour in the buttermilk, then mix to a fairly soft dough, first with a spatula, then with your hands. Dough will be a bit sticky, but don't overwork it, or the scones won't turn out light.
- Roll out onto a floured board and form into a round shape about 1/2" thick. Cut into quarters.
- Cook on a hot griddle or non-stick pan on high, for about 5 minutes, then turn, lower the heat and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. (These turned out very large, so you can make half the recipe, or make 8 scones with the full recipe too if you prefer a smaller size.)
- You can also cook the entire dough as a whole, just scoring it into quarters first.
- Remove from pan and cool slightly before cutting in half (horizontally;) using a fork gives a better texture. Serve as desired.
Notes
- These are the same thing, but with different names.
Nutrition
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My mother had a hankering for these (she is 86) looked around supermarkets but no joy so looked on internet and found your recipe.
Tried it and they turned out great just like what we used to buy in Ireland .
great thank you
That makes me soooo happy, Bill! The fact that your mother got a taste of something she probably hasn’t had in years just makes my day! Thanks so much for the 5 star review. It is very much appreciated!
I tried 6 times to see your recipe. Ads stopped me until the 7th try. Thought you should know
Hi Cheryl, that’s unacceptable and I’ll have to tell my ad company. Could you give me some more information: were you on your desktop or mobile, and how were the ads stopping you from accessing my site? I need this info to give them so they can make changes. Thank you so much for letting me know-I know that’s frustrating, and I don’t want my site to be this full of ads. CC
My mother was a fantastic baker of real authentic tasty Scottish recipes. She died last year after ten tortuoros hellish years of arthritis. As with most of her generation she had the wee recipe book. The only recipe she hadn’t written down were her soda scones, now after many attempts I have found ‘her’ recipe. Thank you so much as now we can again do our tradition of baking soda scones on Saturday afternoon and splitting and frying them on sunday morning. Many many thanks. Morah Gordon.
So sorry to hear that your mother suffered so! I’m sure she’d be happy that you are continuing in her footsteps and so glad you found my recipe so you can make the soda scones as she did! Thank you so much for sharing; it’s comments like yours that make my blog worth the time and effort I put into it! Christina
Good morning i was looking for a resapy for soda scons an i came across yours.verry intresting my name is christine and my second name is forbes so i proudly hold the scotish clan name an rhe dears head is the simble .i gooing looking to see if i find this res book and thanks to you for shairing you nolidge with us christine forbes northan ireland
So happy you found the recipe on my site, Christine! Thank you for letting me know and I’m very glad to share it with you! CC
Christina, I’m over the moon to find you . soda scones were my favorite for breakfast with bacon etc. I was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. I had my 21st Birthday here in States. I remember the Broons ,loved the Annual and the newspaper cartoon, I don’t remember a Broons cook book. I would love to order it if possible. Could you please let me know how or where I can do that. I would also love to order your cook book also. I make mince and tatties at least once a month my American hubby looks forward to it he loves it. I sometimes make stovies if I have leftovers ,its basically leftover mince chunks of potatoes and other veggies all together in a big roaster baked in oven, its real hearty. I miss kippers and brown bread with good butter for breakfast too. Oh and real crumpets from Mark’s and Spencer also with good butter yum. Anyway so glad I found you please let me know how I can order the books. Your fan for life Gina.
Hi Gina! You are such a sweetheart to reach out to me and ask about buying my cookbook! I wish I had one to offer you, but as of yet, I do not. However, here is the link for the Broons cookbook that is in the photo of the soda scones http://amzn.to/24eGot4 I really think you’ll enjoy it as it has a ton of old Scottish recipes!
Happy that you found my site and I’m sure there are a lot of recipes you’ll enjoy (hint: use the RECIPES tab at the top of my page and hover over it, then go to CUISINES, then SCOTTISH/BRITISH to pull up all my British recipes on one page!) Keep in touch! CC
My sister sent me the Maw Broon cookbook for Christmas a few years ago, and I have used it over and over again. Her Mince and Tatties are exactly what I fed my children when we were just starting our company and had no spare cash. Her fish pie is the exact same recipe my Mother used, and I still use to this day. You just HAVE to try the Scotch pies on page 79 – they work every time. Page 84 – Skirlie!What more can I say! OK, that’s more than enough – I just love that book!
Hi Lee! Someone gave me the book to borrow, so I’ll just have to re-borrow it again! I loved everything I saw in it, and the entire concept was brilliant (tea stains, sticky tape, etc.)! Thanks for letting me know about the Scotch pies! :)