Would it be St. Patrick’s day without Irish Soda Bread? Not in my house! Put on the kettle and enjoy a slice of this buttermilk-enriched, raisin-filled traditional Irish Soda Bread with a hot cup of tea.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread is so easy to make
Even if you’re a little reluctant to make your own bread, soda bread is so easy you should give it a try–and homemade soda bread is so much better than what you’ll find in a typical grocery store.
Why is soda bread so easy to make? Because it’s a “quick bread”. Quick breads are “quick” because they get their lift from a chemical leavener (in this case baking soda) instead of yeast. As soon as the bread is mixed it’s ready to bake.
With no yeast or fussy fermentation, no rolling or cutting, soda bread is even easier to make than muffins or biscuits.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make Irish Soda Bread:
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Add the buttermilk all at once.
Start mixing with a spoon, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and finish mixing by hand.
Tips for making this Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe
- This dough is so easy to make I don’t even use a mixer. Mixing by hand helps ensure that you won’t over work and toughen the dough and it comes together in mere minutes.
- You can make a substitute for buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of whole milk. Let it thicken for 10 minutes before using.
- Another option for buttermilk is buttermilk powder, which will keep for months in the pantry. Buttermilk does have a special flavor so I think it’s worth getting the real thing, if possible.
- The dough can be a little sticky. If your hands get coated with the sticky dough don’t try to wash it off with water, it’ll just get stickier and leave a mess in the sink. Dip your hands into the flour bin to coat them. Holding your hands over the trash can, rub them together vigorously and the sticky dough will come off easily.
- Cutting a deep X in the top of the loaf before it goes in the oven ensures that it will rise evenly without splitting in random places.
- If the raisins on the surface of the dough burn in the oven, just pick them off (careful, they’re hot) when the bread comes out of the oven.
- The recipe can be divided into two smaller loaves instead of one large loaf. Adjust the baking time for smaller loaves.
- If raisins are your thing you can leave them out or replace them with dried cranberries, cherries or your favorite dried fruit.
- Soda Bread is best the day that it is baked. Leftovers can be frozen, then defrosting and reheated.
- One of my favorite ways to eat day-old soda bread is to generously butter a slice of bread then toast in on a griddle until it’s golden brown. Topped with a little jam, it’s heavenly.
All you need is a little creamery butter and maybe a dollop of Blood Orange Marmalade for the perfect teatime treat.
Personally, I don’t know why you’d only bake soda bread once a year. It’s so easy to make and so tasty it should be enjoyed year-round.
If you love this recipe please consider giving it five stars.
Irish Soda Bread
Even if you’re a little reluctant to make your own bread, soda bread is so easy you should give it a try–and homemade soda bread is so much better than what you’ll find in a typical grocery store. With no yeast or fussy fermentation, no rolling or cutting, soda bread is even easier to make than muffins or biscuits.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 lb 4 oz 570g) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz, 28g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons (1.5 oz, 45g) butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (6 oz,170g) raisins
- 2 cups (16 oz, 500ml) buttermilk, plus more for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F convection or 375°F regular. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Sift or whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Use your hands to work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no pieces larger than the size of a pea. Toss the raisins with the dry ingredients.
- Add the buttermilk all at once and mix until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated. The dough may seem dry at this point but it will come together.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead about 15-20 times to form a smooth ball. Place the loaf onto the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to flatten the ball slightly. Use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2"-3/4" deep X into the top of the loaf. Brush the loaf with buttermilk.
- Bake until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom or the middle of the loaf is about 190°F, 45 minutes to an hour.
Notes
This recipe makes one large or two smaller loaves. If you split the dough into two smaller loaves adjust the baking time accordingly. The recipe can also be halved to make one smaller loaf.
The bread is best the day it's made, but will keep several days at room temperature. It will keep in the freezer for 1-2 months.
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Julianne
I don’t have buttermilk at the moment but have whole milk. Could I substitute the whole milk in place of the buttermilk?
Eileen Gray
Yes. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 2 cups of whole milk. Let it sit for 10 minutes to let it thicken.
Emily
Hello,
What are your thoughts about using bread flour with this recipe?!
Eileen
I think it would make the bread too chewy. I would stick with all purpose flour.
Kathryn
Hi, this recipe looks amazing and just what I was loolking for. one question. Salted or unsatled butter..
Thanks.
Eileen
I always use unsalted butter. But, since there’s really a small amount of butter in the recipe, you can use salted butter without adjusting the salt in the recipe. No need to go out and buy special butter if you’ve got salted butter on hand. Enjoy!
Trina Gray
I found a gem when I tried this recipe. Quick and easy. I substitute cheddar cheese for the sultanas and enjoy it with soup. This will be my go to recipe from now on. 🙂
Eileen Gray
Thanks! I made 2 loaves of this bread for St. Patrick’s day. It’s always a hit. I’ve never tried it with cheddar, but I will now. Thanks for the great idea!
tibbs
It always amazes me the people will ask for instructional information in recipes despite the fact that ALL the instructions are clearly stated within the recipe preparation steps.
Eileen Fink
So! people may need clarification, or re-wording.. Please let’s not get snarky over someones enthusiasm! Sheesh! Top of der mornin to yer.! ☘
Classy Flavors
I love homemade bread. Looks delicious!
Denisse
I had Irish soda bread for the first time on st pattys day this year and told my husband I had to make some. Glad i found this!
Eileen Gray
Great Denisse. Of course soda bread is not only for St. Patrick’s day. It’s a quick and easy recipe for any time of year.
Jen
I followed recipe exact and my dough was very sricky, never seemed dry. It’s baking now. When I was trying to kneed it I kneeded in more flour hoping to dry it up a bit.
Eileen Gray
What type of flour did you use? Did you measure by cups or by weight? A sticky dough should be fine and should bake up nice and light. Let me know how it works out. I just made this bread today and had a few slices already. Delicious!
Shawna
I made the mistake of not reading everything before starting this! I’m forever doing that; I just get to excited. So of course I tried to use my stand mixer. Like you said, not a great idea! Ended up so incredibly sticky that after I dumped it out I had to add almost a whole cup of flour before it would hold its shape. I’m still going to cook it and see how it does but I’ll probably just give it another shot. Your photos are so gorgeous!
Eileen Gray
Oops, let me know if it’s ok.
Colleen
Can I use the stand mixer with the dough hook?
Eileen Gray
Hi Colleen. I don’t use the dough hook for non-yeast breads. You’d have to be very careful not to work the dough too much since the hook is designed for kneading dough and developing gluten. Unlike a yeast dough, you don’t want to develop the gluten in soda bread. Overworking the dough will make the bread too chewy. Kneading will also knock out some of the air created by the baking soda/powder, making the loaf dense.
I make the dough by hand, but if you prefer to use the stand mixer I would use the paddle. After adding the buttermilk let the dough partially mix, then dump the dough onto a floured surface and finish kneading by hand. If you do choose to use the dough hook just keep an eye on it and take if off the mixer as soon as the dough is combined.
Diane
How long do you bake it for?
Eileen Gray
Hi Diane. It usually takes about 45 minutes to bake. If it starts getting very brown on the bottom you can slide another pan underneath half way through baking. Hope you like it!! Eileen