Irish Soda Bread
Do you want tender bread with a crunchy crust in about an hour without kneading or proofing? My Irish soda bread is the perfect recipe. This old-fashioned bread recipe is so fun to make, and I always serve it on St. Patrick’s Day. It tastes delicious, warm out of the oven, slathered with butter!
What I like about this recipe is that I can make it in about an hour. The baking soda works instead of yeast, so I don’t have to let it rise, and there is no kneading involved, either. This is a quick and easy recipe, just like my beer bread. These two are my aces when it comes to making quick bread.
Table of contents
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you – it’s so flavorful, crusty, and tender! I am a huge fan of using buttermilk in my recipes; you can definitely feel the difference in the texture of the bread. I like how dense and tender it is, slightly sweet, with chewy raisins through it. The crust is my favorite part! This makes the perfect hostess gift, so always make a few extras!
Why you will love this recipe
- I can make it in an hour: There is no waiting for it to rise, so I can have this bread ready to eat in about an hour. And it is delicious right out of the oven.
- No kneading: In fact, the less this dough is handled, the better. Kneading it too much will make it crumbly.
- A handful of ingredients: I usually have everything I need right at home for this recipe, which has just six ingredients plus the optional raisins.
- I can freeze it for months: I like to make an extra loaf and freeze it because it lasts up to three months, and it tastes delicious when thawed and reheated in the oven.
What you will need
- Buttermilk – is an essential ingredient in Irish soda bread because its acidity is needed to react with the baking soda to make the bread rise. Using regular milk will not work in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour – All-purpose flour has just enough gluten to provide the proper structure without creating too much chewiness.
- Large egg – Some recipes do not use the egg, but I like to use it as a binder to add richness and create a smoother and denser texture.
- White granulated sugar – Although it is not needed to feed the yeast since there is none, I like it to add a bit of sweetness and to give it some color.
- Unsalted butter – The butter should be cold to create a flakier texture. It makes small pockets of fat for a lighter, airier texture.
- Baking soda – This is the only leavening agent, so make sure it is fresh. It works with the buttermilk to create gas bubbles that give the bread a light and fluffy texture.
- Raisins – These are not a traditional Irish ingredient, but I like them because they add sweetness, moisture, and a nice chewy texture.
How to make it
Preheat and prepare: First, I preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Wet ingredients: I whisk the egg and buttermilk together in a medium bowl until combined.
Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, I whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and one teaspoon of salt until combined.
Butter: Then, I work the cold butter into the flour mixture with my fingers until it forms coarse crumbs before mixing in the raisins.
Combine: After, I gently fold in the buttermilk mixture until it is combined.
Work it out: Now, I sprinkle some flour on the counter and gently work the dough into a nine-inch round ball.
Slice: I put it into the skillet and make a cross about 2/3 of the way into the ball (about an inch) across the top.
Bake the bread: The bread should be baked for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and the center is cooked through. When tapped on the bottom, it should sound hollow. If it is browning too fast, it can be covered loosely with foil.
Cool, slice, and serve: Afterward, I remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan before putting it on a wire rack until it is just warm. Then, I slice it to serve.
Expert tip
Making Irish soda bread in a loaf pan
Many people have asked why Irish soda bread is round. The reason is that it is traditionally made that way. It was originally made in a round pan or griddle over an open fire, so most people have kept the recipe that way. However, it can be made in a loaf pan just as easily.
Using the same recipe, I grease a nine-inch loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. I still roll it into a ball but then into a loaf. Then, it goes into the pan, and I slice the cross at the top just like I would with the round dough ball. It still has to release steam because the dough is still thick. Finally, I bake it for about 60 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes back clean.
More tips to consider
- Be sure to use fresh baking soda. That is what makes the bread rise.
- This bread also needs buttermilk to rise. Do not use regular milk.
- Do not knead this dough too much. It will ruin the texture and cause it to be crumbly.
- Make sure the butter is cold and cut into small cubes.
- Use a serrated knife and sawing motions to slice the bread.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Dried fruit: I sometimes add dried cranberries, cherries, or dates, but any dried fruit is delicious.
- Add some seeds: When I want crunchy bread, poppy or sesame seeds are a delicious addition.
- Chocolate lovers: Being a chocolate lover, I often add chocolate chips, and everyone loves it. But sometimes, I mix it up with dark chocolate or peanut butter chips.
- Cheesy bread: My family loves it when I toss in some shredded cheese. Some of our favorites are pepper jack, cheddar, and mozzarella.
Serving suggestions:
I often serve this bread with a slather of butter and my instant pot strawberry jam. I also really like to toast it and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
This is also the perfect bread for cream cheese toast. This sturdy bread can be slathered with cream cheese, ricotta, or butter and then topped with berries and a drizzle of honey. My kids are very happy when I add a slice to their lunch boxes, and they enjoy it with a glass of cold chocolate milk.
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days. I usually wrap mine in plastic before placing them in a plastic container. They do not need to be refrigerated.
- Freezing: It can also be frozen if wrapped in plastic and placed in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to three months.
- Defrost: Thaw it in the fridge overnight for the best texture and taste.
- Reheating: I like to reheat mine in the oven at 375 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how much is left over. It can also be reheated in the microwave but will not be crispy.
Frequently asked questions
It is probably from using too much flour. This typically happens due to a measuring error. I highly recommend using the spoon and level measuring technique. To do this, first, sift the flour three times. Then, lightly spoon the sifted flour into the measuring cup until it overflows before leveling it with the back of a butter knife. Another reason it falls apart is from too much handling. Do not knead this bread. Just mix it until it is combined and formed into a ball.
It is probably because it was not baked long enough, so it was undercooked. Try putting it back in the oven for another 15 minutes, checking it every five minutes. If the top is getting too brown, cover it with aluminum foil. Another reason this happens is because the oven is too hot. Even if it is set at the correct temperature, it may be that your oven cooks hotter than it is supposed to. Check it with an oven thermometer. In the meantime, turn down the oven and bake it for another 15 minutes, checking it every five minutes.
This may happen from not slashing a cross on the top. The cross is not just for decoration; those lines are meant to let steam escape from the center of the bread. And don’t just cut a little dainty cross. Cut deeply all the way across. About 2/3 of the way into the bread. This also allows the bread to rise evenly, prevents it from splitting as it bakes, and lets the heat penetrate the thickest part of the dough so it cooks evenly.
Yellowish soda bread could mean there is not enough acidity in the dough to neutralize the baking soda. This gives it a jaundiced color and a slightly bitter taste. The most common reason for this is not using buttermilk. The baking soda needs the acids in the buttermilk to activate. Or maybe the flour quality was off, so it has a low natural acidity. It is still safe to eat though, just coat it in jam or dip it in soup.
More recipes for St. Patrick’s Day:
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for shaping the bread
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into small cubes
- 1 cup raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Grease a 9 or 10-inch cake pan, cast iron skillet or pie dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and work the dough with your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Add the raisins.
- Pour in the buttermilk mixture and gently fold it in until fully combined.
- Sprinkle some flour on the counter and on your hands and gently work the dough into a 9 inch round loaf. Knead the dough for about 1 minute, if the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour.
- Transfer the round loaf into the prepared skillet/pan. Using a sharp knife, make an X on top.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and the center appears cooked through, about 45-55 minutes. If the bread is browning on top too fast, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Slice and serve.