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Irish Soda Bread

11 March, 2013 by Tara 4 Comments

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A recipe for Irish Soda Bread! This easy quick bread comes together with simply flour, baking soda, salt, butter, and buttermilk.

Irish Soda Bread on a crumbled piece of parchment paper.

This Irish Soda Bread recipe is a great starter for those who want to bake, but are not yet comfortable with yeast and sourdough. With no rise times and a short ingredient list, you can have fresh bread in about an hour!

Soda bread is a type of quick bread common in Ireland since the mid 1800s. Instead of yeast, baking soda is used as the leavening agent (creating small air pockets in the dough to help it rise).

The dough comes together in a similar manner to biscuits and scones. Flour is combined with baking soda and salt, then pieces of butter are worked into the mixture to create a coarse texture. Add buttermilk just until the dough comes together and is easily able to be formed into a round without falling apart.

Bake the bread immediately after forming until golden brown and hollow when tapped. The crusty exterior gives way to a moist and crumbly interior, perfect for serving with stews or pairing with Irish butter or a favorite jam.

Aerial view of Irish Soda Bread with four slices.

A Few Tips

Mix the bread just until the streaks of flour disappear and the dough comes together. Over-mixing will cause a more dense texture.

Form the bread and place in the oven immediately after mixing.

If desired, brush the dough with additional buttermilk or melted butter to help add a nice golden color. Cut a 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeter) deep “X” across the top of the bread to keep it from splitting while in the oven and allow the center to bake completely.

I baked the bread on a lightly greased round baking sheet. You can also use an 8-10 inch (20-25 centimeter) Dutch oven. The smaller sizes will create a thicker bread.

Don’t open the oven door until towards the end of cooking. This will help develop a nice, crisp crust around the exterior of the bread.

Bake the bread until golden brown and it makes a hollow sound when tapped. Don’t overcook or it will lose some of the tender texture.

This bread is much easier to cut after it has cooled on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes and up to a couple of hours. If you cut into the loaf immediately after it comes out of the oven (I may or may not have done this), it is more likely to crumble and fall apart.

This Irish Soda Bread is best served the day it is baked, but will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 days.

Looking for more Irish recipes?

Try my:

  • Irish Soda Farls
  • Dublin Coddle (Irish Sausage and Potato Stew)
  • Irish Potato Cakes
Slices of Irish Soda Bread with one topped with butter.

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Irish Soda Bread on a crumpled piece of parchment paper.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Irish Soda Bread

A recipe for Irish Soda Bread! This easy quick bread comes together with simply flour, baking soda, salt, butter, and buttermilk.
Course Bread
Cuisine Irish
Keyword bread, Ireland, irish, soda bread
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter cold and diced
  • 2 cups (470 milliliters) buttermilk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a round baking sheet (at least 10 inches, 25 centimeters) with parchment or lightly grease.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add the diced butter and cut into the flour mixture using a dough blender, two forks, or your fingers until blended and no pieces are larger than a pea.
  • Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix together using your hands just until dough comes together and no streaks of flour remain. If still too dry and crumbly, add a little more buttermilk. If too wet and sticky to handle, add a little more flour.
  • Lightly press the dough down into a circle on the prepared baking sheet until 6-7 inches (15-18 centimeters) wide and at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) thick.
  • Brush the top of the round with additional buttermilk or melted butter.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut an "X" across the top of the bread, about 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) deep.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped, 35-40 minutes.
  • Place on wire rack for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to cool before slicing.
  • This bread is best served the day it is baked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Filed Under: Bread, European

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Allison - Celebrating Sweets

    2 March, 2018 at 3:16 pm

    5 stars
    Freshly baked bread is my fave – but I hate baking with yeast. Pinning this and trying it asap!

    Reply
  2. Helene D'Souza

    2 March, 2018 at 3:43 pm

    Gotta try a real Irish soda bread soon. Can you believe I have never had this famous bread yet? Time to get baking.

    Reply
  3. Dana

    2 March, 2018 at 6:29 pm

    This bread is gorgeous! Nothing beats homemade bread. I used to make it all the time, but I’ve never made soda bread. I’ll have to give this a shot!

    Reply
  4. Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

    2 March, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    We love soda bread!!

    It is quick to knock up, and the taste is so good with a big bowl of Irish Stew or Beef and Guinness.

    I like the idea of brushing melted butter over the bread. I bet that gives it such a lovely taste 😀

    Reply

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