Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Updated on March 30, 2024 by Rodney • This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. • 4 Comments • Jump to Recipe
The perfect Irish Soda Bread recipe for celebrating St. Patrick’s day. Quick & Easy to make using ingredients you already have in your pantry.
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.
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.
If you love making soda bread, you must try my Super Simple Soda Bread Recipe. Easy and Delicious! For another similar authentic recipe from Canada try 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!
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.
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
- White Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Unsalted Butter
- Buttermilk
How to Make Traditional Irish Soda Bread
- 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 a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer loaf to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Printable Recipe Card
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
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
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
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.