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Orange-Cranberry Soda Bread with White Chocolate Chunks
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This is not your traditional Irish soda bread. The crumb is fragrant with orange zest and studded with tangy dried cranberries plus bits of creamy white chocolate that add the perfect amount of sweetness. We adapted the recipe from “Rising Hope” by Rachel Stonehouse and Kaila H. Johnson, both members of the team at London’s Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise that supports disadvantaged women by teaching them baking skills. The bread is the creation of Aine, the former head baker at Luminary Bakery, who taught the recipe to trainees in the days before Christmas. Indeed, the rustic loaf is special enough for a holiday breakfast or brunch, but it comes together so quickly and easily that it’s great at any time of the year.
Makes one 7½-inch
loaf
Tip
Don’t chop the white chocolate into tiny bits. Keep the pieces chunky—roughly ½ inch in size—otherwise they will simply disappear into the crumb. Also, don’t knead the dough as if it was a yeasted dough. Handle it gently, as if making biscuits or scones. A light, gentle touch helps ensure a tender crumb.
1¼ hours
25 minutes active, plus cooling
210 grams (1½ cups) dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
325 grams (2½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
105 grams (¾ cup) whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
113 grams (4 ounces) white chocolate, chopped into ½-inch chunks
Ingredients
-
210
grams (1½ cups) dried cranberries, roughly chopped
-
1
tablespoon grated orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
-
1¾
cups buttermilk
-
325
grams (2½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
-
105
grams (¾ cup) whole-wheat flour
-
1
teaspoon baking soda
-
1
teaspoon table salt
-
113
grams (4 ounces) white chocolate, chopped into ½-inch chunks
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir together the cranberries and orange juice. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stirring once halfway through. Stir again, then set aside until cooled to room temperature. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the orange zest and buttermilk.
-
02In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda and salt. Add the cooled cranberries and the white chocolate; toss until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Using a silicone spatula, fold the buttermilk into the flour mixture until a rough, shaggy dough forms; it’s fine if the dough still shows some dry, floury patches.
-
03Lightly flour the counter and turn the dough out onto it. Using your hands and a metal bench scraper, gently and lightly fold the dough a few times just until cohesive; do not knead it. Shape the dough into a ball and, using the bench scraper to loosen it from the counter, transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Lightly dust the top with flour. Using a serrated knife, score an X into the top of the dough, cutting about ¾ inch deep.
-
04Bake until the bread is deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes; if turned upside down and tapped on the bottom, the loaf should sound hollow. Cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet on a wire rack, then transfer the loaf to the rack and cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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Reviews
January 25, 2023
Went offroad, but still delicious
I didn't have any white chocolate so I substituted diced candied lemon peel and increased the orange juice a bit when rehydrating. My loaf took longer to cook (close to an hour) but after cooling it sliced perfectly and tastes lovely. I will definitely substitute other dried fruit and/or nuts for the chocolate in the future, thanks for such a flexible recipe!
January 19, 2023
Raisins
Can raisins be substituted for cranberries and skip the chocolate?
Hi Marianne -
Unfortunately, no. Fresh fruit has more water than dried fruit (which has basically none). Using fresh fruit will throw off the balance of wet to dry ingredients in the recipe. You can try using other dried fruits, but keep in mind that the recipe was developed to highlight the balance between the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the white chocolate so not all dried fruit will work here. We would recommend dried sour cherries as a good substitute.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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Easy and delicious. Moist and perfect with a cup of tea. Will make again.