A quick Irish soda bread recipe yielding tasty, soft, flavorful bread with bites of sweetness from the raisins (of course, they're optional).
Making Irish Soda Bread is obviously popular around St. Patrick's Day, but if you're like me, making a soda bread is so easy I make it year round.
Last time I made it, actually, I ate the entire loaf myself, over the course of a week, every morning for breakfast with a little butter!
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe so yummy
- Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
- Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Necessary gear: Equipment
- More Irish recipes I think you'll love
- How to store leftovers
- Mel's kitchen notes
- Frequently asked questions: FAQs
- Quick Irish Soda Bread
- Fan Favorite Recipes
- 💬 Comments
What makes this recipe so yummy
- The ingredients are really simple, things you should already have so no special shopping for these basic ingredients.
- No real skills are needed to make this homemade bread - there's no yeast involved or special kneading like with regular bread. It's so easy to make this round loaf.
- It's one of the most easy bread recipes out there.
- It's a great recipe to whip up on St. Patrick's Day!
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
- Butter
- Vinegar
- Raisins (optional)
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Add the flour, salt, baking soda and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk.
- Step 2: Add the cold butter in small cubes to the flour mixture and cut in using a pastry blender.
- Step 3: Stir the raisins into the flour mixture (if using).
- Step 4: In a large mixing jug add the buttermilk and eggs and beat together with the whisk.
- Step 5: Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and fold together into a shaggy dough.
- Step 6: Empty dough out onto a lightly floured surface and carefully fold together using floured hands.
- Step 7: Place the bread dough into a 10" cast-iron skillet that is lightly greased and cut a cross into the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.
- Step 8: Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown.
Hint: The cross is cut into the top of the dough so that heat easily reaches the center of the loaf during the cooking time and you won't be left with an uncooked center with an overcooked outer crust.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Whole wheat Flour - instead of all purpose flour.
- Homemade Buttermilk - just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of whole milk.
- Caraway seeds - Some people love to add these to their traditional soda bread.
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Necessary gear: Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I used mixing bowls, whisks, pastry cutter and a cast iron pan for this recipe.
You could add this recipe to a loaf pan though, if you prefer.
See my full list of equipment (they're affiliate links) in the recipe card below.
More Irish recipes I think you'll love
How to store leftovers
Once the Irish Soda Bread has cooled completely you can store it in an airtight container (I like to add a piece of paper towel, as it's humid where I live) and store it at room temperature for up to 5 days.
This soda bread does freeze well. If you want to freeze your loaf, wrap in aluminum foil, then cling wrap and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Mel's kitchen notes
Don't slice into the bread too soon as it will tear and not make pretty slices. Allow the loaf to cool for at least 30 minutes before you slice into it with a serrated knife.
Frequently asked questions: FAQs
This is a type of quick bread that doesn't need any yeast to rise. All the leavening comes from the reaction between the Baking soda and the buttermilk (I give it a little extra push with a teensy bit of vinegar).
It's a dense type of bread, almost like a biscuit, but it's still fluffy with the added hint of sweetness from the little bites of raisins (if you included them). Just spread a little Irish butter.
Due to the density, it's great with just a spread of salted butter, or add some jam/marmalade. Eat it for breakfast or lunch with a great cup of tea. It's also good to eat as a side and tastes great the next day.
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Quick Irish Soda Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 4-¼ Cups All Purpose Flour Plus more for dusting
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Cold
- 1 Each Large Eggs
- 1-¾ Cups Buttermilk Whole fat
- 1 teaspoon White vinegar
- 1 Cup Raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt and mix well with a whisk.4-¼ Cups All Purpose Flour, 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Add the cold cubed butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender (or use your fingers and rub into pea size balls).5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Add the raisins (optional) and stir into the flour mixture. Set aside.1 Cup Raisins
- In another bowl add the buttermilk, egg and vinegar and milk well.1 Each Large Eggs, 1-¾ Cups Buttermilk, 1 teaspoon White vinegar
- Pour into the flour mixture, folding in with a spoon. Keep folding and working the buttermilk into the flour mixture until combined.
- Sprinkle counter (or chopping board) with flour, liberally, and empty the dough onto the flour. Dust hands with flour and work the dough, for about 1 minute, until it’s no longer sticky - adding flour as needed to get the right texture (not sticky).
- Place dough into a 10” cast iron skillet that is sprayed with cooking spray.
- Cut a cross into the top of the dough.
- Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes. To be sure, check with a thermometer - it should be 190-195°F. Cover with foil toward the end if you find it’s browning too much.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the skillet, for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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