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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
Filed Under
Just did a “taste test” before serving it today. All I can say is “YUM!! I have made other Irish Soda Breads in the past but found them to be dry. Your ingredients and the positive comments led me to try once again. The difference is remarkable. This is definitely my go to recipe from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!!
I do like your recipes. Question on this one is would I do anything different with a 11 inch cast iron skillet?
HI Mary, that will still work. It may spread slightly more but should work great in an 11-inch skillet.
Hi Natasha. I instant dried buttermilk ( like instant dry milk) You just reconstitute with water. Do you think that will work?
Hi Janice. I think so, but I haven’t personally tested it to know how it affects the taste/texture. Let us know if you experiment.
My wife and I just made this recipe for the first time and it was great. We used powdered buttermilk and 2% milk. For us it turned out great. We usually use milk with powdered buttermilk when we don’t have buttermilk on hand.
Great to hear that it was a success!
Good morning Natasha And Happy St. Paddy’s Day tomorrow! I make Irish Soda Bread every year and decided to try a new recipe this year and came across yours with rave reviews. My question is, has anyone ever commented on the bread picking up flavors in their cast iron skillet? I worry because I use mine for savory dishes using garlic, herbs, etc. Perhaps I am not cleaning it well enough(it looks it)? Maybe I should bake it on parchment paper? Thank you for any advice!
HI Marcia, usually a good scrubbing with hot water and a dish brush will remove food smells and excess grease. Just make sure you don’t wash with soap so you aren’t removing the seasoning that makes the skillet non-stick. You can line with parchment paper though if you are concerned about scents from the pan.
I just put my loaf of bread in the oven, can’t wait! You didn’t mention when to mix in the raisins in your instructions. I punted, but you should do a revision. Thanks!
Hi Diane, we add the raising in step 2. See step #2 “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.” I hope that helps.
Hi! First off, my wife and I love your recipes! Any time we see that you have a recipe for something we are going to cook we ALWAYS go with yours. Thanks for so many wonderful recipes. You rock!
My question is this. I accidentally bought the whole buttermilk instead of low fat. Will this be okay to use or will it mess up the recipe?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Mitch! I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes.
Yes- whole buttermilk will work too.
Yay! Thank you so much! Doing this now 🙂 Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!
I bought whole buttermilk too. Came out great. Don’t forget, buttermilk doesn’t go bad as long as it is refrigerated. Also, just add milk to what’s left in the bottle and you will never have to buy buttermilk again.
I would like to add caraway seeds in addition to the raisins. How much should I add?
Hi Susan! 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 just do a pinch of them, like 1/4 teaspoon. They add a lot of flavor so too much can be overpowering.
Will it work in a round cake pan the only cast iron I have does not have a rim around the edge
Very easy to follow and my bread looks like yours in the picture so that’s good. I used kefir
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
I don’t typically have that on hand?
Hi Marylou. The buttermilk activates the baking soda, making the bread rise. You can substitute the buttermilk with a low fat plain Kefir.
You can also 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.
Marylou, for future recipes, they sell powdered buttermilk. I don’t typically have buttermilk but I do keep the powder in my fridge for just these occasions!
A little tip, I grate my cold butter, then add to flour, it is so much easier than cutting in the butter and it still works for the recipe.
I used a 10″ aluminum pie pan, greased with butter and it came out perfectly. I love this recipe- It is moist, not dry like some breads I have had. it was a hit at my last gathering. I serve it with Irish butter. Thanks for all your tips.
I added one heaping teaspoon of orange zest to the dry ingredients – just the right touch!
I just made it the same way today. It’s in the oven still , cannot wait to have a big slice with Irish butter!!
Hi Natasha,
I need to make two soda breads this year for our big family dinner. Can I bake both at the same time in cast iron pans?
Hi Sharon! Yes, you can bake more than one. If they are both the same size, they shouldn’t need any adjustments in time/temperature.
I have used this recipe for my St Patrick’s Day meal for a few years now, and it makes a perfect bread that everyone raves about. I love this recipe! It is the best!!!
Hi Natasha, I love all your recipes. I’m making this bread as we speak. The one thing I will say as an experience baker this dough was very very sticky hard to work with. I did put it in the cast-iron. I really wish that it would not spread on the flatter side versus more of the rounder side.
I’m so happy to hear that you love my recipes. Thanks for sharing that with me. The dough should be more shaggy than sticky. I wonder if it needed a little more flour.
Do you think this would come out ok in a rectangular loaf pan?
Hi Michele! Some of my viewers have reported making this in a regular bread loaf pans. I assume it would work, but you’ll have to experiment with the size.
Hi! Love your recipes! Was going to attempt this recipe soon and was wondering if something else could be substituted for a cast iron pan? I have a pizza stone and Dutch oven….
Hi Candace. You can experiment with different pans. Some of my viewers have even reported making this in a regular bread loaf pans. I assume it would work, but you’ll have to experiment with the size. If you bake this on a baking sheet or pizza stone, it likely be a little more flat.
This is honestly the best version of soda bread that I’ve ever made. Followed your recipe exactly and I’m pleased as punch at his it turned out. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Annie!
Can this be baked in a dutch oven without the lid on? I only have a grill style cast oven pan.
Hi Eileen! Yes, that would be fine.
I make Irish Soda Bread every year for my Family to compliment Corned Beef and Cabbage and this year I used your recipe! WOW! Knocked it out of the park, this turned out so good! It was also the first time I used an iron skillet and I think that also made a difference. Thank you Natasha once again for an excellent and super yummy recipe!
I’m really happy to hear that it was a huge success! Thank you for sharing, Amanda.