Original Irish Soda Bread Recipe (2024)

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By Kristie Sawicki 19 Comments

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This authentic quick bread recipe is the best Irish Soda Bread you’ll serve at your kitchen table!

It’s the perfect addition to your Corned Beef or Irish Beef Stew dinner this St. Patrick’s Day.

This soda bread is SO EASY to make and requires no yeast, making it the perfect bread to serve with all of your dinner meals.

Original Irish Soda Bread Recipe (1)

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When you’re looking for an authentic Irish Soda Bread recipe, make sure you choose one that doesn’t have a lot of special ingredients or complicated steps.

This is one of my favorite bread recipes, you’ll find lots more homemade bread recipes here.

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

The best recipes are tried and true and often the most simple to make.

And because this recipe is easy to put together, you’ll not want to skimp on the buttermilk.

This homemade soda bread is one of the top recipes for St. Patrick’s Day.

The buttermilk is an important ingredient. You don’t want to choose a recipe for Irish Soda Bread without buttermilk or it just won’t taste like the traditional bread everyone loves.

You can add raisins or even chocolate chips to this moist bread if you’d like to, however a lot of people from Ireland prefer to eat it without any extras added in.

Original Irish Soda Bread Recipe (2)

The best soda bread in my opinion, is just a moist Irish Soda Bread traditional recipe like the one below.

Soda Bread Ingredients

  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking Soda
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Butter
  • Buttermilk
  • Egg

How to Make Soda Bread

The full measurements for the ingredients are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

This is a visual walk through on how to make this bread.

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Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Grease a baking sheet.

Step 3: Stir together all purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

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Step 4: Add 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Step 5: Flour work surface, turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.

Step 6: Shape dough into a round shape and place on prepared sheet.

Step 7: Whisk together 1/4 cup melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk.

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Step 8: Place on a prepared baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet and brush loaf with buttermilk mixture.

Step 9: Cut an X in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.

Step 10: Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Expert Tip: Brush the crust with buttermilk mixture every 15 minutes or so while baking.

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Step 11: Your finished bread will have a lovely golden brown crust. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Soda Bread Add-Ins

  • Raisins
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Dried Fruit
  • Nuts
  • Orange Zest
  • Currants
  • Caraway Seeds

More Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

  • Irish Beef Stew – Tender and juicy seasoned beef loaded with a rich and decadent sauce that surrounds the tender beef and all the vegetables.
  • Homemade Shamrock Shakes – Delicious homemade green minty milkshake.
  • Irish Potato Candy – Contrary to the name, these little bite sized sweet treats have no mashed potato in them. That’s right! They get their name because they look like little potatoes.
  • Guinness Bread – This Guinness Bread is the perfect way to start your festivities this year.
  • Green Velvet Cupcakes – If you are looking for a fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe, try these Green Velvet Cupcakes with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting!
  • Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Buttercream – These are a delicious treat to add to your festivities.

Original Irish Soda Bread Recipe (8)

Irish Soda Bread

Kristie Sawicki

Traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe.

4.06 from 320 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine irish

Servings 6

Calories 580 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 cup Flour
  • 4 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup softened Butter
  • 1/4 cup melted Butter
  • 1 1/4 cup Buttermilk
  • 1 Egg

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.

  • Grease a baking sheet.

  • Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

  • Add 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup buttermilk and egg to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

  • Flour work surface.

  • Turn out dough and knead briefly.

  • Shape dough into a round shape and place on prepared sheet.

  • Whisk together 1/4 cup melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk.

  • Brush loaf with buttermilk mixture.

  • Cut an X in the top of the loaf.

  • Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

  • Brush with buttermilk mixture every 15 minutes or so while baking.

Video

Notes

This is the best authentic Irish recipe for traditional soda bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 580kcalCarbohydrates: 75gProtein: 11gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 883mgPotassium: 167mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 831IUCalcium: 198mgIron: 4mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below, I would love to hear how you liked it (or not lol) Share a photo with me @KRISTIESAWICKI or tag #SAVINGDOLLARS!

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About Kristie Sawicki

I'm the blogger behind Saving Dollars & Sense. I started this website over ten years ago, to share my journey out of debt, while living a simple, frugal lifestyle. You'll find lots of great MONEY SAVING TIPS, DIY PROJECTS, HOMEMADE RECIPES, SIMPLE LIVING IDEAS and MORE!! I'm so glad you're here.

Original Irish Soda Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient did the rise to the Irish soda bread come from? ›

The four ingredients were soft wheat flour, salt, baking soda and sour milk (buttermilk is more commonly used today). Since yeast wasn't readily available, the combination of baking soda and buttermilk acted as the leavening agent, causing the bread to rise.

How do you know when Irish soda bread is done? ›

The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread.

Why is my Irish soda bread so hard? ›

Too much kneading will create a hard dense crumb on the bread. Rule of thumb with no yeast breads, the less kneading the softer the crumb. Score the bread. This is an important step to helping to ensure that the center is cooked.

Why do you put a cross in Irish soda bread? ›

I was always told that the cross on the top of Irish Soda Bread was to symbolize the Catholic faith of Ireland, and the Gaelic Cross. Some say it kept the Devil out, but that is what a cross is supposed to do also. Turns out that is true but more importantly, it helps in the baking of the bread.

What's the difference between Irish bread and Irish soda bread? ›

However, the two loaves differ pretty significantly from there. Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

Why is Irish soda bread so good? ›

Buttermilk is the Secret

Irish soda bread only requires a few ingredients, including buttermilk. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to provide the bread's leavening. It also adds wonderful flavor! We use buttermilk for the same reasons in my regular no yeast bread, too.

How is Irish soda bread traditionally eaten? ›

The traditional way of serving your Irish soda bread is serving the loaf while it's warm with butter.

What do Irish people eat with soda bread? ›

How to Eat Irish Soda Bread. This versatile bread works for any meal, but Irish soda bread is a natural for breakfast, whether simply spread with (Irish) butter and jam or alongside that hearty fry-up known as a full Irish breakfast. It's also wonderful with a cup of tea in the afternoon or as a late-night snack.

Why is my Irish soda bread gummy? ›

And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.

What went wrong with my soda bread? ›

If you've ever tried Irish soda bread and not liked it, don't go running off yet! Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).

Why is my Irish soda bread raw in the middle? ›

Your oven is too hot if it is uncooked in the center. Try lowering the temp on your oven by 25F and extending the bake time. Don't put anything on the top of the bread to aid in browning until the last few min. of cooking, and use an instant read thermometer (target temp to pull is 190F).

What's the difference between sourdough bread and Irish soda bread? ›

The main difference between sourdough bread and soda bread is in its leavening agent – sourdough bread rises due to the gasses released from yeast and bacteria fermentation, while soda bread rises from the gasses produced during the chemical interaction between baking soda and acids in the dough.

Is Irish soda bread good for you? ›

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

What does traditional Irish soda bread taste like? ›

Irish soda bread is a dense and tender quick bread with a subtle tangy buttermilk flavor.

What is another name for Irish soda bread? ›

Irish soda bread has a couple of other names, too: When we attended a class at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, they made this loaf and called it a Spotted Dog. It's also called white soda bread, American Irish soda bread, or fruit soda bread.

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