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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This came together so easily and it was super yum-o. I left out the raisins so it can pair with the corned beef hash for St. Patty’s day and it was a hit. Will definitely try it again with the raisins. Thanks for the recipe! It’s a keeper.
What a delicious and easy recipe! We moved to a new state and I was not able to find an Irish soda bread at our local store. Sooo..Having made Natashas recipes before, I was so happy to find this one. It was a major hit with my family! So delicious with my corned beef and cabbage! Thank you Natasha for sharing. I read a comment asking if you can sprinkle sugar on before baking. I was afraid to add the sugar before baking so, after it finished, I spread butter over the top and sprinkled sparkle sugar all over! Yummy!!! Better than my old store bought!
Okay way too wet and sticky, got it on cast iron skillet, it flattened a little bit tasted great. Only modification is I added a little bit of carroway and everything bagel seasoning for flavor. Came out great besides flattening a little. Will make it again for sure, thank you. Still gave it a 5 cause that stickiness can be fixed easily.
Most satisfying and delicious soda bread I’ve made. Use the currents, and full-fat buttermilk also works beautifully if ok for your regimen!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with me, Andy!
I have never mixed the butter in by hand, but the recipe is a keeper! Thanks!!!
So I can’t rate it yet, it’s in the oven. I learned a new term “shaggy dough” and mine was. I can never overcome the sticky for fear of incorporating too much flour.
I hope you love this Soda Bread, Chris!
I hope this bread makes it to the table! My first time making this but sure won’t be my last. I can never go wrong following one of your recipes. It is delicious, not quite a scone taste , not exactly a cracker taste, just a taste of its own. Thank you again for another amazing recipe .
Aw! Thank you, Christine! You’re very welcome.
This turned out wonderfully. I used half AP flour and half Irish flour. I added currants instead of raisins and added 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds. This recipe is a keeper
Hi Cynthia! Thank you for sharing that with us. I’m happy it worked out well for you.
Can I sour milk with lemon juice to activate the baking soda?
Hi Jean, yes, that would work fine.
I made it yesterday and it was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Laura!
Can I use a Dutch oven instead of cast iron pan? Thank you.
Hi Diane! Yes- see my comments below.
This bread was amazing and very easy to make! It went perfect with our shepherd’s pie to celebrate St Paddy’s Day weekend!
I love this recipe. Followed it exactly. Even my very picky, teenager loved it.
One question, I try to count my calories, and the nutrition label is helpful but doesn’t say the size of a serving. Can you tell me how many Devi gd you base it on? Or the size of the serving? Thanks!
Hi there! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Serving size is 12 slices (1 loaf) I was not able to weight each serving though but hope that helps.
I like the crunchy course sugar some of the grocery store loaves have on top. Wondering if it would be fine to just pour some course sugar on top before baking?!
Hello! I think that would just be fine, just add a light sprinkle probably first as a trial?
Bread in the oven right now and it smells amazing! I can’t wait to taste it! Thanks for another great recipe.
I’d never made Irish Soda Bread, let alone tasted it. Made as instructed for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner party and it was a hit (even with a Murphy descendant 🍀). Thank you, Natasha, for yet another simple to follow and delicious recipe!
I just made this and what a mess! the dough never really came together. When I turned it out onto a well floured counter it ran into a giant blob. I had to add another, almost 2 cups of flour, and then had to knead it way too much. I finally got it into a reasonable ball. It’s in the oven now and will probably be hard as a rock. What did I do wrong? I did soak my raison in boiling water but drained them well.
HI Wilinda, soaking the raisins will incorporate more moisture into the dough so that is likely the issue, but 2 cups of flour is too much and this dough should not be kneaded like a typical yeast bread dough but just pulled together like biscuit dough. The rise comes from the baking soda and kneading will make it dense.
Hi! Is there a particular reason you need low fat buttermilk? My grocer only sells the smaller 16 oz in regular, not low fat. And I hate for the rest to go to waste bc I never use buttermilk! Ty 🙂
Hi there! The reason for using low-fat buttermilk in many recipes is mainly for a slightly lighter texture and reduced fat content, but regular buttermilk will work perfectly fine here.
I substitute plain regular yogurt, comes out delicious!
Flavor was great, but like some other comments, my dough was VERY wet. I spooned in my flour like I normally do, and measured the buttermilk exactly. I wound up adding quite a bit more flour (about a cup) and it was still very wet. I poured it into my pans instead of shaping it. Maybe weighted flour might help to make sure the results are the same throughout?
HI Caitlin, adding that much flour is quite a bit, are you certain you didn’t miscount the cups of flour while adding them? It’s a common mistake and I literally count out-loud so I don’t get distracted while measuring for baking. Also the dough is a bit sticky with the measurements and that’s ok – it will bake up nicely.
Can you make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate overnight, and bake tomorrow?
That should be fine. You can cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to keep it from drying out or absorbing any odors from the fridge. Take it out of the fridge 30-60 mins before baking it.