Traditional Irish soda bread creates a crackling loaf of crusty, fresh homemade bread. This no yeast bread is a simple recipe that bakes up perfectly with minimal effort making it ideal for anyone, even beginners.
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, I find myself making all the cozy Irish meals.
Think Irish Colcannon Potato Soup and Irish Beef Stew.
This traditional Irish soda bread pairs so well with all of these hearty, stick to your ribs meals.
Anytime I make it not a crumb goes to waste!
What makes Irish soda bread different?
Unlike other bread recipes, Irish soda bread doesn’t use yeast.
This quick bread relies on a reaction between baking soda and milk to make it rise
What does Irish soda bread taste like?
Irish soda bread is very mild tasting and tastes closer to a biscuit than a traditional loaf of bread.
You normally pair soda bread with something else be it butter and jam or dipping it into a soup or gravy.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Flour– Unbleached all purpose flour
- Baking soda– For leavening
- Salt
- Buttermilk– Do not substitute regular milk. You need the acid from the buttermilk to make the bread rise. If you don’t have any buttermilk make your own by adding a teaspoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk.
- Add ins– You can keep it simple with just the four above ingredients or add some other sweet or savory flavors to the bread.
Add Ins for Irish Soda Bread
Traditionally Irish soda bread is kept simple, but you can add in a variety of flavors.
Some of my favorite add ins include:
- Raisins
- Other dried fruit like craisins, etc.
- Freshly chopped herbs
- Olives
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Caramelized onions
- Cheese and crumbled cooked bacon
- Chocolate chips
How to Make
With only 4 ingredients and no proofing yeast, this soda bread is so easy to make!
To do it, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Lightly flour a large rimmed baking sheet.
Once you’ve prepared the baking sheet, sift all of the dry ingredients into a large, wide mixing bowl.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in 1-1/2 cups of the buttermilk.
Stir the mixture together with one hand, fingers apart, moving in circles to incorporate the buttermilk into the dry ingredients until the dough just barely comes together.
At this point, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat into a circular shape about 6-3/4 inches in diameter and 1-1/2 inches high in the center.
It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Then, turn the dough round over so the floured side is on top.
With a thin, sharp knife, score a cross on the dough about 1/4 inch deep and extending fully from one side to the other.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 400°F and bake until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, another 20 to 30 minutes.
Cool to room temperature on a rack, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving.
Storing
You can keep this soda bread wrapped tightly in plastic on your counter for 2 to 3 days.
When you go to serve the leftovers, you may want to toast slices first.
Tips and Tricks
- If necessary, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely comes together. The absorption rate varies depending on the brand of flour.
- The dough should be soft. Don’t overwork it or the dough will toughen up.
- It’s ok if the loaf isn’t perfect looking when you shape it. The dough should be rustic looking. That’s what makes it pretty!
Other Easy Quick Bread Recipes
Traditional Irish soda bread is a favorite quick bread to make around St. Patrick’s Day and all year long.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other quick bread recipes?
Try these:
- Cheesy Beer Bread
- Triple Chocolate Quick Bread
- Crusty Dutch Oven Bread
- Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- Shortcut Focaccia Bread
If you’ve tried this TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups buttermilk
- add-ins optional
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly flour a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large, wide mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in 1-1/2 cups of the buttermilk. Stir with one hand, fingers apart, moving in circles to incorporate the buttermilk into the dry ingredients. If necessary, add more buttermilk 1 Tbs. at a time until the dough just barely comes together. (The absorption rate varies depending on the brand of flour.) The dough should be soft—don’t overwork it.
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat into a round about 6-3/4 inches in diameter and 1-1/2 inches high in the center. Invert the round so the floured side is on top. With a thin, sharp knife, score a cross on the dough about 1/4 inch deep and extending fully from one side to the other.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F and bake until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, another 20 to 30 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature on a rack, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If necessary, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just barely comes together. The absorption rate varies depending on the brand of flour.
- The dough should be soft. Don’t overwork it or the dough will toughen up.
- It's ok if the loaf isn't perfect looking when you shape it. The dough should be rustic looking. That's what makes it pretty!
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