Bread was never my go-to snack — until now.
Over the years I’ve flirted with the idea of being “a bread person,” and this post might sound familiar. But there’s a small difference with this loaf: it actually makes me want to snack on plain slices.
I’ve made soda bread before — a brown butter whole wheat version — and it was excellent. That recipe came with stories about Saturday nights, Suze Orman and frozen yogurt. We haven’t changed much since then, clearly, and we’re kind of boring in those small ways.
Eddie is the household bread snacker. Not the type to demolish a whole loaf, but he’ll happily have toast — butter or jam — before bed. He does one infuriating thing, though: he always leaves the jar of jam out on the counter. Sometimes open, sometimes with the knife in it. All night. It’s become a running joke and small domestic scandal at our place.
I finally stopped returning the jar to the fridge to prove a point, which meant buying separate jars for Max and me so our toast wouldn’t be touched by whatever sits out overnight. It didn’t bother him at all, but now it’s part of our family lore — the great jam jar controversy. I choose to laugh about it most days. #marriage
The jam situation aside, this bread has been turning everyone into a snacker. My mom — not usually one to graze on bread — ate two slices within minutes when I brought this loaf over. She’s the slowest eater I know, so that was impressive.
Full disclosure: since I added milk chocolate to the dough, it might not be a classic soda bread. Maybe it’s closer to a tea cake. But to me that’s the point — swap raisins for chocolate any day. I’ll never be a raisin person, but chocolate in bread? Absolutely.
And then there’s the salted honey butter. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt level. Stir in two to three tablespoons of honey, then salt to taste. It’s dangerously good — the kind of spread you might eat by the spoonful.
Soda Bread with Milk Chocolate and Salted Honey Butter
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Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cups milk chocolate chunks or chips
salted honey butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more, or less, to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. In a smaller bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together.
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With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the milk mixture. Increase to medium and mix until the dough comes together. Toss the chocolate chunks with a bit of extra flour, then fold them into the dough.
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Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times, adding more flour if sticky. Shape into a round and score an X on top. Place in a Dutch oven (about 8 inches wide) or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until golden and set. Cool in the Dutch oven if used, or on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
salted honey butter
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Stir the unsalted butter, honey and salt together until smooth. Adjust salt and honey to taste. Serve with warm slices of bread.
Notes
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I appreciate you so much!
That feels like the perfect bread-to-butter ratio.