Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day—Soda Bread with Milk Chocolate and Salted Honey Butter

This recipe for Soda Bread with Milk Chocolate and Salted Honey Butter appeared on my blog last year, too.  It was so nice to read this blog this morning, because I when originally made this recipe, my mom was still living.  What a sweet memory!  So here is Soda Bread with Milk Chocolate and Salted Honey Honey Butter.

I'm having so much fun making Irish recipes!  This morning I got up before Milo at 6:30 a.m. to make this soda bread.  I wanted to make it and take some to my mother.  This soda bread is incredibly delicious.  It has a beautiful crust and the inside of the bread is so soft.  The addition of the salted honey butter, which I modified for a yeast free diet, adds so much to the flavor.  The original recipe came from Jessica Merchant's How Sweet Eats blog.

Soda Bread with Milk Chocolate and Salted Honey Butter

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting (I used 4 cups of Bob's Red Mill wheat free, dairy free, 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour; no xanthan gum is needed if this flour is used.)
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used 2 tablespoons of Truvia Cane Sugar Blend.)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1-3/4 cups buttermilk (I used 1-3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk.  Mix into the milk a little less than 2 tablespoons of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother.  Read the paragraph after the photos for more information.)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cups milk chocolate chunks/chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips.)

Salted Honey Butter

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2-3 tablespoons honey (I used 2 tablespoons of Truvia Nectar.) (Update 2020: I do not think Truvia Nectar is available anymore.)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (approximately)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the milk mixture.  Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.  Toss the chocolate chunks with a bit of extra flour and add them to the dough.  Stir to mix.
• Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it a few times, using some extra flour if it's super sticky.  Form it into a round and slice an X on the top.  Jessica Merchant made hers in a dutch over, so she made the round about 8 inches wide.  I made mine about the same size and placed it on a parchment-covered baking sheet.
• Bake the dough for about 45-55 minutes, until golden on the top and set.  Jessica cooled hers in the dutch oven in which it was baked.  The bread can be served warm or let it cool completely.

Salted Honey Butter

• Stir together ingredients until combined.  Sprinkle extra salt on top, if desired.

Out of the oven and ready to slice!

Close-up!!

Ready to eat with the Truvia Nectar Butter!

Here are a few tips when you make this soda bread.  If you are making it gluten free, be sure to let the mixture of apple cider vinegar and the almond milk stand for 5-10 minutes before adding the egg.  You will see the milk/vinegar mixture get a bit frothy, which is what you want.  It is basically turning it into buttermilk.  I did use the 60% Cacao bittersweet chocolate chips.  However, you can leave them out of the soda bread, if desired.  Also, just to remind you, the Truvia Nectar does contain a bit of actual honey.  Again,  you can just use regular butter or ghee.

Also, I have to tell you that I used my KitchenAid mixer to make this bread with the paddle attachment.  It worked so well! The dough was not sticky at all, and it came together just beautifully.  I barely had to knead the dough.  If you do not have a KitchenAid, I highly recommend getting one.  I bought mine last July on Amazon Prime Day.  I was able to get a great deal.  They expect Amazon Prime Day to be on July 6th (updated for 2020) this year, so start saving now!

So, I have to share this cute story.  As I stated at the beginning of the blog, I brought some of the soda bread over to my mom.  She looked at me after she tasted it and said, "What bakery did you go to this morning to get this?"  Ha Ha!  I told her, "My house!"  So, according to my mom, this is bakery quality soda bread.  I do have another crazy story.  The first piece of bread I cut to do the photos, fell on my floor.  Of course, Milo came running, but I snatched it up before he could gobble it down!  

I hope you will try this delicious soda bread!! Enjoy!!