Irish Soda Bread

There is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked Irish soda bread in the oven and you catch that first whiff when you pull out the crusty loaf. This soda bread doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare as you do not have to bloom any yeast or wait for the dough to rise, so it’s perfect for when you have a craving for bread. When sliced, the bread has a dense, tight crumb that’s quite tender and soft. I love baking a loaf whenever I make my beef stew recipe or any one of my homemade soup recipes.

This bread is a type of quick bread that comes together quickly to serve a crowd without a lot of work. It uses baking soda as a leavening agent, hence the name. While the use of baking soda for bread is not Irish, they had ​​adapted the soda bread recipe to use inexpensive ingredients available to them. It also does not require any special equipment so anyone can make the bread. Over time, this bread became a tradition to bake for St. Patrick’s Day.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Buttermilk — using buttermilk in the bread dough adds flavor and helps activate the baking soda to help the bread rise. Your bread will not rise without buttermilk, so do not skip it; try my buttermilk substitute recipe if you do not have any on hand. The buttermilk should also be cold for the best results.

Flour — no need to get fancy with this simple soda bread. All you need is plain all-purpose flour.

Butter — make sure your butter is super cold as it will help prevent the dough from being overly sticky. If you have frozen diced butter, that’s even better. You can work the butter into the dough with your hands or a pastry cutter.

How to Make Irish Soda Bread

1. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together, then set aside.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. If you’re adding raisins or currants, then mix those in now.

3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and work it into small pea-sized pieces with your hands or with a pastry cutter.

4. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture in. Use a spatula to fold the mixture until all the flour has worked into the dough.

5. Transfer the dough to your lightly floured surface, form into a loaf, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or seasoned cast iron pan.

6. Score the top with an “X” and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center has set. Tent the bread with foil if the top is getting too much color. Allow the soda bread to cool before serving.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

• Avoid overworking the dough, as it should look a bit shaggy. You do not need to knead the dough until smooth.
• Make sure to score the bread deeply as it helps the interior of the bread bake through.
• You can also add other ingredients such as lemon zest, orange zest, honey, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, or caraway seeds.
• You can bake the soda bread in a cast iron pan, a lined large baking sheet, or even a lined cake pan or pie dish.
• Don’t use a loaf pan, or your bread won’t bake evenly.
• If you’re unsure if your bread is done, you can use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf. The center should read 200F.
• Avoid adding too much flour to the dough by measuring your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake leading to dense bread. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this bread served?

The simplest way to serve this soda bread is with butter alongside some coffee or tea. A side of honey or jam is delicious as well. My honey butter recipe, pumpkin butter recipe, and apple butter recipe are some of my favorite sides.

How do I store leftovers?

Soda bread dries out quickly, so the bread only stays fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container. I recommend only slicing what you plan on serving to keep the bread as moist as possible.

Can I freeze this bread?

This bread can be frozen for up to 2 months. You can freeze the entire loaf or in slices so you can thaw what you need. Be sure to wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap before freezing.

Why is my bread tough?

Usually, soda bread comes out tough if you over-knead the dough or add too much flour.

If you’ve tried this Irish Soda Bread recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!