Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! Green cookies, Green beer. Whatever works for you! I personally prefer to celebrate with a Traditional Irish Soda Bread.
The first time I made Irish Soda Bread was when I made Paul’s Quick Soda Bread. And just like Paul’s Soda Bread, this recipe is super easy to make and does not require any time to rise as it does not use any yeast.
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What is Soda Bread
Soda Bread is a type of quick bread that uses baking soda instead of yeast. The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide.
This bread comes out with a crunchy crusty exterior while the interior is a dense but moist interior like you would expect from most loaves of bread. The real beauty of this Irish Soda Bread is in its simplicity. No yeast means no waiting for the dough to rise. And in this case, a lot less kneading is required.
You actually don’t want to over-knead this dough. So once all the ingredients are mixed, all you need to do is form a nice ball and stick it in the oven for an hour. That simple. So simple actually this would be a fun recipe to try with kids. No special ingredients and no special tools or skills are required to make this delicious Irish Soda Bread.
Tips
- I like to use a Danish Dough Whisk to mix the batter. Makes the job so much easier!
- You can use a sharp knife to cut the bread but since I have a bread lame, that is what I use
- If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add just enough buttermilk to help it hold together
If you’re a quick bread lover, you’ll absolutely adore my Super Simple Soda Bread Recipe. It’s a breeze to make and bursting with flavor! For another authentic Canadian recipe, check out my Traditional Canadian Bannock Bread recipe.
Buttermilk Substitution
If you don’t have Buttermilk on hand, you can use this trick as a substitute: Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line. Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes. Since this recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups you will need to adjust accordingly.
Another option is to use a cultured buttermilk blend. All you need to do is add water. I was very skeptical at first but in a pinch, it works great!
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- All Purpose Flour – I mostly use King Arthur but use what you got (no affiliation)
- White Sugar – you can also use any sugar alternative
- Baking Powder – needed to help the bread rise
- Salt – a must for most recipes
- Baking Soda – helps give the bread a nice texture
- Unsalted Butter – you can use regular salted butter if you prefer
- Buttermilk – if needed you can make your own using milk and lemon juice
How to Make Traditional Irish Soda Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside. You can also use parchment paper if you prefer.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. Mix to combine.
- Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter just until the flour is moistened. The dough should be very sticky.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead 8 to 10 times. Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- Dust dough lightly with flour. With a serrated knife or bread lame, cut an X 4 inches long and about 1/4 inch deep.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
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Ingredients
- 4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup White Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 ½ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Baking Soda
- 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cold & cubed
- 1 ½ Cups Buttermilk, or more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. Mix to combine.
- Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter just until flour is moistened. The dough should be very sticky.
- Turn dough onto a well-floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead 8 to 10 times. Shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- Dust dough lightly with flour. With a serrated knife, cut an X 4 inches long and about 1/4 inch deep.
- Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer loaf to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Notes
I do not bake bread very often but when I saw this recipe, I figured I would give it a try. I surprised myself and it turned out perfect. I think this will be my go to recipe the next time I make bread.
This soda bread is delicious. The only adjustment I made was to add a handful of raisins. My family loved it. It will be the perfect one to make in the new year.
Can I add raisins & can baking pan be lined w/parchment paper?TY for reply
Yes on the parchment paper. I’ve used it with this recipe before. I’ve never tried raisins (interesting idea though) but don’t see any reasons why it would not turn out. Let us know if you try it!
This recipe is delicious. Very easy to make because you do not have to let it rise. You just mix it and put it in the oven. The bread comes out with a very crunchy crust. I had some left over and had put it in a zip lock bag, and the next day the crust was just as crunchy. Love this bread. Will make it again real soon.
This bread is crunchy good.