Soda Bread Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour 
• 0.3 cup sugar sweet (depending on how you want them)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted room temperature (1 stick)
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds 
• 0.5 cup raisins 
• 1.3 cups buttermilk 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• wooden spoon
• muffin tray

Directions

1. Preheat oven, prepare muffin pan: Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a standard muffin pan.
2. Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cut butter into flour, add mix-ins:
4. Cut the butter into tablespoon sized pieces into the bowl of flour. Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour, schmooshing (technical term) the butter between your fingers and mixing with the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
5. If you are using raisins, caraway seeds, or any other add-ins, mix them into the mixture now.
6. Add buttermilk and form dough: Make a well in the center of the flour.
7. Pour the buttermilk into the center of the well. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the flour into the buttermilk until the flour is moistened with the buttermilk.
8. Then use your hands to form the mixture into a loose, shaggy, slightly sticky ball of dough.
9. The dough should be a little sticky, if it's too dry, add a tablespoon more of buttermilk. If it's just too wet to handle, add a sprinkling more of flour. Do not over-mix!
10. And at this point work quickly. As soon as the acidic buttermilk interacts with the alkaline baking soda, bubbles will form and leavening will start.
11. Divide dough among wells of muffin tin: Break off 12-equal portions of the dough and place them in the wells of the muffin tin.
12. Bake: Put in the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes at 425°F, until the tops are nicely browned.
13. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes in the pan.
14. Remove the biscuits from the muffin tin to a rack to cool for a few minutes more.
15. Serve with butter and jam.