This delicious soda bread is filled with figs and walnuts. It’s a lovely bread any time of year, but especially lovely for St. Patrick’s Day!
I make this soda bread every year about this time. It’s a great lead up to St. Patrick’s Day. And every time I make it, I’m reminded what a great treat it is to enjoy all year round. It’s so easy to make and the fig and walnut flavours are so perfect together!
This soda bread is very, very lightly sweet. That’s why I highly recommend the addition of the honey butter! Beyond the creamy butter, the touch of sweetness it adds to every bit is just the thing to bring all the flavours together.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Buttermilk – real buttermilk is great, but if you don’t have any on hand, make your own for this recipe by measuring out 2 cups of regular milk and removing two Tablespoons of it. Replace with 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice.
Figs – I used Black Mission Figs, but any figs will work. (For Canadians, Black Mission Figs are easily available at Bulk Barn, so you can just buy what you need. You’ll only need a handful.)
Recipe Tips
I baked this one up in my cast iron skillet, as you can see :) My skillet is 10 inches top diameter (8-inches diameter bottom). If you don’t have or want to bake it in a skillet, a 9-inch round baking pan should work nicely.
I like to mix up a small bowl of the honey butter and leave it out with the soda bread, so it’s handy to use as we enjoy the loaf.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Soda bread is best on the day it is baked, but if you wrap it up well, it will still be quite good for another day or so. Soda bread freezes well up to 2 months.
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Get the Recipe: Fig and Walnut Soda Bread with Honey Butter
Ingredients
Soda Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried figs, diced (I used black mission figs)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 2 cups buttermilk, *see notes for substitute
Honey Butter:
- 1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons liquid honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted) Grease a 10-inch top diameter cast-iron frying pan or an 8 or 9-inch round baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, walnuts, figs, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Make a well in centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the buttermilk. Stir to form sticky, thick batter. Scrape in to prepared baking pan, pushing the dough into the edges of the pan.
- Sprinkle top with a bit of flour. Bake in pre-heated 400° oven until golden and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. **Note: Check bread after 20 minutes or so and if it is browned enough, simply put a piece of tin foil over the top to stop further browning while it finishes cooking.
- Let stand in pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges. Gently loosen from the edges and slide bread onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.
- Soda bread is best eaten on the day it is baked. If you can't eat it up right away, you can wrap tightly and stretch it another day or so, or it does freeze well.
- For the Honey Butter: In a small bowl and using fork, mash softened butter with honey until smooth. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Notes
More Soda Bread Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
This bread is wonderful! Just the right amount of sweetness from the figs and the walnuts add a wonderful flavour. Thanks for sharing !!!
I also wanted to add.. this toasts up beautifully in the toaster the next day …if it lasts that long!!! :)
I made this and loved it. Will make many times again.
So glad to hear, Kim :) It is one of my favourite breads! Thank so much.
This look Delish! I’m wondering if I could use date cause I’m out of figs?
Thanks for sharing with us!
Hi Patricia and sure, I think it would be a fine substitute in this bread :) Enjoy!