Sweet & Savory Irish Soda Breads

I have to be honest with you....I don't really like Irish Soda Bread.  It's just tastes too much like, well, baking soda.

Credit - Winsen Yeung

Yet, every St. Patrick's Day, I still find myself making it (and usually throwing out most of it).  This year, however, I'm taking a different approach to Soda Bread.  I decided to put some stuff into the mix that will make the breads more edible and enjoyable!

With this recipe, you get two breads - a Savory Dinner Bread and a Sweet Dessert Bread and you only have to make one dough!  Bonus: The main ingredient is Bisquick (make your own)!  

Dough:

8 Cups Bisquick

1/3 Cup White Sugar

4 Eggs

1 1/3 Cup Milk

*This recipe adapted from Group Recipe's Easy Irish Soda Bread

Savory Add-Ins:

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Caraway Seeds

1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries

Sweet Add-Ins:

1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

This is super easy!  Mix the dough ingredients together as well as you can in a bowl.

Remove the very sticky dough from the bowl and knead it on a well-floured surface until it becomes manageable.  

Cut the dough in half and flatten each half a bit.

To one half add the Savory Add-Ins.  

To the other half, add the Sweet Add-Ins. 

Knead each half of dough until the Add-Ins are well distributed (I kneaded each half about twelve times).  Form the doughs into rounds.

Cut a 1/2 inch "X" into the tops of the doughs and place on a greased baking sheet.  You may add a little more Kosher Salt to the Savory Dough and a little more Brown Sugar to the Sweet Dough if you wish!

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are dark golden brown.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Here's the Savory Version - moist & salty goodness!

You can also make these ahead of time, freeze them in foil and a freezer bag, and serve later!  Allow 2 hours of thaw time before serving.  

Here's the Sweet Version - just look at that brown sugar swirl inside!

Enjoy & Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Linking Up at Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, The Frugal Girls, Funky Junk Interiors and these other Great Parties!