Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Did you know that Saint Patrick was actually Italian? Well, he was and is the inspiration for my Mini Irish-Italian Soda Breads with Basil Infused Olive Oil. I can’t seem to get my mind off Italy these days. Ever since I won the Colavita Olive Oil Contest and knew that I’d be spending a week there this spring, even a traditional Irish recipe couldn’t escape the Italian excitement!
The main ingredients of a traditional soda bread are flour, salt, buttermilk, and baking soda. The baking soda and lactic acid in the buttermilk react to cause the bread to rise instead of yeast that is used in other breads. You can use all-purpose flour if you wish, but soda breads are generally a little dense so I like to use cake flour which seems to make these a bit lighter. I also like the nutty flavor the oat flour adds so I chose to use a combination. If all-purpose flour is all you have on hand, go for it — it will turn out great either way! I chose to add sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts to make my Italian version. Also, I decided to add a little green for the spirit of the holiday by way of a basil infused olive oil. So, eat, drink, and be merry! And have a wonderful (Italian) St. Patrick’s Day!
These Mini Irish-Italian Soda Breads with Basil Infused Olive Oil are so easy to make — let’s get started! First, bring the olive oil to a simmer over low heat. Add the basil and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Remove from heat and cover; set aside.
Next, whisk together the cake flours, baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper.
Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. The mixture will be sticky so you can add up to 2 tablespoons additional flour if needed to help the mixture come together.
Add the diced sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and 2/3 cup cheese and mix until combined.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and place on prepared pan. With a sharp knife, cut an “X” in the top of each and sprinkle with remaining salt and cheese.
Rotating pan halfway through, bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm with basil infused olive oil.
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 2 cups cake or all-purpose flour (plus up to an additional 2 tablespoons, if needed)
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ⅓ cup diced sun dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1¼ cups buttermilk
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Bring the olive oil to a simmer over low heat and add the basil and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Remove from heat and cover; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, 2 teaspoons salt, baking soda, and remaining 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined. (Note: The mixture will be sticky; add up to 2 tablespoons additional flour if needed to help the mixture come together). Add the diced sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and ⅔ cup cheese and mix until combined.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and place on prepared pan. With a sharp knife, cut an “X” in the top of each and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ⅓ cup of cheese.
- Rotating pan halfway through, bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with basil infused olive oil.
roberta says
March 17, 2014 at 3:01 pmbeautiful share thank you! Happy Saint Patrick’s day Brett!
roberta says
March 17, 2014 at 3:02 pmbeautiful blog share~thank-you!
Grace says
March 8, 2019 at 2:32 pmAbsolutely delicious! I tried making these last year and the family loved them! Will be making them again this year for St. Patrick’s Day.