Irish Soda Bread
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.
Table of contents
What is Irish Soda Bread?
Irish soda bread is a “quick bread”. Quick breads get their lift from a chemical leavener (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.
If you keep a sourdough starter, you can make Sourdough Irish Soda Bread or Sourdough Irish Brown Bread with your discard.
Ingredients
How to make Irish Soda Bread
Here’s what the recipe process looks like at each stage. Refer to the recipe card below for measurements and exact instructions.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Cut in the butter and toss in the raisins.
- 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.
- Cut a deep “X” on the loaf for the traditional soda bread shape. This also promotes even rising.
Recipe Tips
- Mixing by hand helps ensure that you won’t over work and toughen the dough.
- 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.
- The raisins are optional but highly recommended.
- 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.
Storage
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.
All you need is a little creamery butter and maybe a dollop of Blood Orange Marmalade for the perfect teatime treat.
Let’s not limit soda bread to St. Patrick’s day. It’s so easy to make and so tasty it should be enjoyed year-round.
More Irish inspired recipes
- Honey Kissed Irish Whiskey Cake
- Irish Brown Bread
- Baileys Pot de Creme
- Baileys Bundt Cakes
- Baileys Cheesecake
- Baileys Chocolate Macarons
- Guinness Fudge Cake
- Triple Guinness Cake
- Irish Tea Brack
- Irish Apple Cake
- Irish Coffee Trifle
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Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 ounces unbleached all purpose flour (4 cups, see note)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 ounce granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 6 ounces raisins (1 cup)
- 16 ounces buttermilk (2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Sift or whisk together 20 ounces unbleached all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon table salt, 1 ounce granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Use your hands to work 1 ½ ounces unsalted butter into the dry ingredients until there are no pieces larger than the size of a pea. Toss 6 ounces raisins with the dry ingredients.
- Add 16 ounces 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 200 °F, 45 minutes to an hour.
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Hello,
What are your thoughts about using bread flour with this recipe?!
I think it would make the bread too chewy. I would stick with all purpose flour.
Hi, this recipe looks amazing and just what I was loolking for. one question. Salted or unsatled butter..
Thanks.
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!
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. 🙂
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!
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.
So! people may need clarification, or re-wording.. Please let’s not get snarky over someones enthusiasm! Sheesh! Top of der mornin to yer.! ☘
I love homemade bread. Looks delicious!