Irish Soda Bread is the easiest bread you’ll make – no proofing or kneading required and the dough comes together in 5 minutes. Soda bread has a soft and tender crumb with a Biscuit-like texture.
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We love freshly baked bread, from Banana Bread to Homemade Focaccia. If you are a fan of easy bread recipes, this Irish Soda Bread is a must-try!
You’ll Love this Soda Bread!
I fell in love with Soda Bread the first time I tried it. Its lightly sweet crumb reminded me of our Paska Easter Bread and Hot Cross Buns, but it’s amazing how fast and easy it was to make a traditional Soda Bread.
What is Irish Soda Bread?
This Irish-American Soda Bread is traditionally baked for St. Patrick’s Day. It is a quick bread that uses Baking Soda (a.k.a. Sodium Bicarbonate) as the leavening to make it rise. Unlike traditional yeast bread, there is no proofing or rising time. Once the dough comes together, you score the top and bake right away.
Ingredients
We love adding raisins for the holidays, but the raisins are optional. If you want to make it without buttermilk, then kefir works just as well to activate the baking soda.
- Flour – all-purpose flour works best
- Sugar – 1/4 cup makes it a lightly sweet bread
- Salt – every good bread needs a fair amount
- Baking soda – leavening which makes the bread rise
- Butter – gives the bread a scone-like texture (use cold, unsalted)
- Buttermilk – activates the soda (use cold, low-fat)
- Egg – for a finer, richer crumb
- Raisins – optional and can be substituted for dried cranberries
Tips for the Best Soda Bread
- Do not over-mix – as with scones, the dough really just has to come together before baking.
- Sticky dough – the dough will feel sticky. Dust your work surface and hands with just enough flour to handle the dough.
- Cold ingredients – there’s no reason to bring ingredients to room temperature. Keep buttermilk, egg, and butter chilled.
- Generously grease the pan – buttering your cast-iron skillet before baking allows the bread to rise without sticking to the pan.
- Cool on a rack – Once out of the oven, transfer the soda bread to a rack to cool so it doesn’t steam and soften on the bottom.
How to Make Soda Bread
You’ll be amazed how fast and easy it is to form a loaf of this Irish-American Soda Bread.
- Prep – Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 10″ cast-iron pan with butter.
- Whisk dry ingredients – in a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- Add butter and raisins – cut butter into dice then work it into the flour mixture with clean dry fingertips until crumbs form. Stir in raisins.
- Buttermilk – In a large measuring cup, beat together buttermilk and 1 egg and pour into dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until moistened and the dough starts to come together.
- Form the loaf – transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, dust hands with flour, and form dough into a round loaf. If too sticky to handle, dust with flour.
- Bake – transfer dough to the buttered pan and score the top with a deep “X”. Bake at 375˚F for 50-55 minutes.
How to know when Soda Bread is done baking? We bake for 50-55 minutes. When you tap the loaf it should sound hollow inside.
Common Questions:
You can omit the raisins, or even substitute them for dried cranberries or other bits of dried fruit like chopped apricots.
The buttermilk activates the baking soda, making the bread rise. You can substitute the buttermilk with a low fat plain Kefir.
It tastes similar to scones or biscuits but is very lightly sweet.
We love to serve soda bread is delicious served as a side with Irish butter and honey, or jam. It’s a lightly sweet bread so it pairs well with coffee or tea.
Scoring the top gives it extra surface area to brown and crisp.
Over-mixing or over-kneading the dough can make it tough. The less you handle it, the softer the bread will be.
Soda bread freezes really well. If you freeze it the day it’s baked (be sure it’s cooled to room temperature first), it will taste great thawed and toasted.
This Irish Soda Bread recipe is sure to become a holiday favorite for you. It’s so easy and you’ll impress everyone.
More St Patrick’s Day Recipes
If you love this Soda Bread, then you won’t want to miss these St. Patrick’s Day-inspired recipes.
- Green Smoothie Bowl – perfect for a St. Patty’s breakfast
- Zeppole – a special treat loved by all
- Spinach Artichoke Dip – your new favorite dip
- Guacamole Stuffed Deviled Eggs – you’ll love the green
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts – crispy with bacon
- Broccoli Apple Salad – with creamy dressing
Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup more for dusting
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, plus 1/2 Tbsp to grease pan
- 1 3/4 cups cold lowfat buttermilk or kefir
- 1 large egg, cold
- 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375˚F. Generously grease a 10” cast-iron skillet with 1/2 Tbsp butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Cut butter into small pieces and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until crumbs form stir in the raisins, breaking up any clumps of raisins. Make a well in the center.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and egg then add this mixture into the flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon and mix just until lightly moistened and dough barely starts to come together.
- Transfer to a floured surface and use floured hands to shape the dough just until it forms into a round loaf. It should be shaggy. If it’s too sticky to handle, dust lightly with flour. Do not over-mix or bread will be tough.
- Transfer to the buttered pan, use a knife to score the top with a large and deep “X”. Bake in the center of your preheated oven at 375 for 50-55min. When you tap on the bread, it should sound hollow inside. Transfer bread to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy within 2 days of making it and refrigerate leftovers up to a week.
Nutrition Per Serving
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First time I’ve tried making it 🙁
But it turned out super delicious!!!
I’m definitely making it again, thanks for the recipe 😊
You’re very welcome, Roger!
Can I use a cast iron Dutch oven pan or does it have to be a skillet?
Hi Chas! Yes, you can bake it like my 5 seed Dutch oven bread recipe here.
I don’t have a cast iron skillet. What should I use?
Hi Leigh! You can use a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also follow my 5 seed Dutch oven bread recipe to make this in a Dutch oven.
I’d like to make this for my friend who can’t eat eggs. Would it be okay to delete the egg in your recipe?
Hi Marie! I haven’t tested this without eggs, but I think it could work. You’ll have to experiment with it. I am not sure how it would affect the texture.
Replace the egg with 1/4 cup applesauce. Should do the trick
Or also the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans is used by vegans. 3 tbsp for 1 lg egg. They call it aquafaba.
If your friend is allergic to chicken eggs, he or she may be able to eat duck eggs. Many people can. I don’t bake with any other kind now that I have my flock.
Chia egg substitute:
1Tbsp. Chia seeds
2 1/2 Tbsp water
Stir and rest for 5 min. to thicken.
Does this recipe work well with gluten free flour?
Hi Lisa! I have not tested this recipe with GF flour and to be honest, I don’t have experience with using GF flour to advise. One of my readers left this comment, “I loved this recipe! I did use gluten free all purpose flour though and instead of buttermilk I did ~300ml oat milk and ~25ml white wine vinegar and it was still moist and amazing!” I hope that helps.
Can I use dry buttermilk powder that is reconstituted?
Hi Katie, that should work. This bread relies on the acidity of the buttermilk to activate the baking soda. If you find that your dough isn’t rising well, you can add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to boost the acidity.
Can I use Milk, Vinegar to create my own buttermilk for this recipe?
Hi Jill, you sure can. To make your own buttermilk at home using regular milk and white vinegar or lemon juice at the ratio of 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice/vinegar. Stir and let sit for a few mins until it’s curdled and ready to use. I hope that helps.
I am going to make this tomorrow. I wanted to ask. I don’t have unsalted butter. Can I use salted butter & use less salt in recipe?
Hi yes you can use salted butter but omit the salt in the recipe.
This was my first time making Irish Soda Bread and this recipe is perfect. Just the right amount of crunch to the crust, yet soft and flavorful on the inside. I used raisins as the recipe recommended. I’ll definitely make this again!
Can I add caraway seeds? If so, how much and when should I add them? (We love caraway seeds in our bread(.
Hi Cynthia, I’m not sure, I’ve never made this with caraway seeds. I would add them to your preference, maybe start with less at first and then add more the next time you make it if its not enough. I also just took a peak through the recipe comments and it looks like some of my readers have used them!
I have similar recipe with Caraway from my great grandmother in Ireland. I use 1/4 cup caraway seeds and 2 cups of raisins.
I wanted to use my enameled Dutch oven to bake this soda bread. Would you recommend preheating the Dutch oven and baking with the lid on?
Hi Beverly! Several of my viewers have reported making this in a Dutch oven lined with parchment paper. You could bake it like my 5 seed Dutch oven bread recipe here.
Thanks for the quick response❣️I’ll check out that recipe for instructions☘️
You’re so welcome! I hope you love this.
When do I add the raisins into the mixture?
Hi HL, that is done in step 2 after the butter. I hope that helps.
Only for 40 minutes in a Dutch oven as opposed to the 50-55 as the recipe states?
HI Erin, keep in mind the dutch oven bread recipe is baked at a much higher temperature.
So do you bake it according to the Dutch oven recipe…high temp and shorter time or according to the cast iron recipe re: time and temp???
Yes, if you want to make this in a Dutch oven, follow the instruction in that recipe.
Natasha..have you ever divided the dough to make smaller loaves? Or mini loaves?
Hi Susan! I have not, but it should work fine to do so.
Jewel food stores sell soda bread bites they are amazing! So yes you could make them on smaller portion sizes.
This recipe is amazing. First time i made it, followed the recipe EXACTLY. 5 Stars. I have never bought Store Made Irish Soda bread since. Everyone that has tasted it agrees, Best ISB ever. I have now started to add some new ingredients. Instead of a just a cup of raisins, I now add the raisins with chopped candied fruit peel (both homemade lemon and Orange), cranberries, chopped dried apricots and a few dried sour cherries., total about 2 cups of fruit. The night before, i mix all the fruits and sprinkle 2 shots of good port over it, letting it soak in overnight. Its come out just amazing.
Can I use a mini scone pan for this recipe?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe, Joanne!
I split the loaf in half. How long do I bake ?
Hello! If you are planning to split it in half, you might want to reduce the baking time since the smaller loaves will cook faster. For two smaller loaves, start checking them after about 25–30 minutes of baking at the original temperature (425°F or 220°C).
Hi, if I need to make 2, should I just double the ingredients?
Hi Lucia! Yes, double each ingredient.
My first ever attempt at this bread, it’s amazing!!! And was so easy to make, and I am not a baking person!!
That’s wonderful, Peggy!
I don’t have an iron skillet. What else do you recommend to bake it in?
Hi Richard! Some of my viewers have used metal cake pans, pie pans, and even bread loaf pans.
I never use butter to grease any of my pans when I bake. This bread came out with the butter boiling on the bottom of my pan. The bread was soggy, not quite burned on the bottom but close to it. What a waste of ingredients.
Hi Maggie, I haven’t had that experience and that is unusual for butter to be boiling on top and a soggy center could indicate that your leavening may be expired? Also, are you baking on regular bake mode, not convection?
Is this supposed to be baked on convection? I don’t see it on the recipe.
No, it’s supposed to be baked regular mode, not convection.
I made this on Sunday and we couldn’t stop eating it! My husband asked me to make another loaf this evening, so it’s in the oven now. 😁 Thanks, Natasha!
I used sour milk (1.75 Tblp lemon juice in the milk and let sit for 15 min) instead of buttermilk as I always do with scones and used chopped medjool dates instead of raisins (we’re big date fans over here). Oh, and I sprinkled some sugar on the top before baking this time. 😋
I made this recipe last night and I had to stop myself from eating the entire loaf! LOL! It was absolutely delicious! The crispy and buttery edges were perfection! Avoid the store bought and for this St. Pat’s Day, do yourself a favor and make this delicious recipe!