This Traditional Irish soda bread is made with just a few simple ingredients but bakes up into a beautiful, bakery quality loaf.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve tried several recipes for Irish soda bread, and this Traditional Irish Soda Bread is by far my favorite. It bakes up into such a beautiful loaf that I can hardly believe it isn’t a yeast bread.
I was totally shocked at how good this was. Made this yesterday for St. Patrick’s day and was a little nervous by the short ingredient list. No butter? But it was amazing & everyone had more than one piece!
Lindsay
Even better, it’s so incredibly easy to make, especially if you’re impatient like me and don’t want to wait around for the dough to rise.
Seriously, you can have a gorgeous loaf of homemade bread on the table in about an hour, from start to finish.
The trick (or at least I’m assuming it’s the trick) is baking the bread with an inverted cake pan on top. I don’t know what kind of scientific baking magic that inverted pan creates.
I just know this recipe never fails me and I get a beautiful, bakery quality loaf of Irish soda bread every time.
My family loves this bread as much as I do. And nobody needs to know that you didn’t spend hours in the kitchen!
Like so many delicious breads, Irish Soda Bread is the product of a time when fancy ingredients weren’t available or affordable, so it’s made with only the most basic ingredients.
Legend has it that the cross was cut on the top before baking to ward off the devil and protect the household.
Irish soda bread often has raisins or dried currants in it, so feel free to add that if you’d like.
For some reason, I tend to only make this bread around St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s so simple and delicious I really ought to make it more often.
I have made this recipe three times. I have made it for our card group for a St. Patrick’s Day potluck with and without raisins. It was a big hit. Love the crispy crust.
Olivia
Be sure to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times. Form the dough into a ball and then press into the prepared pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. The dough should reach the edges of the pan, but may spring back slightly.
- Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about 1/4 of an inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside down.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, covered, then remove the top pan and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more or until the crust is dark golden brown.
Nutrition
If you love this recipe, you might also like:
[mv_create key=”1065″ layout=”circles” thumbnail=”https://letsdishrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Irish-Soda-Bread-1WB.jpg” title=”More Delicious Bread Recipes” type=”list”]
131 comments
Eric and Tabitha McCoy
Could you use regular milk or does it have to be buttermilk?
Laurie C.
If you don’t have buttermilk make your own. I do this all the time, put 1TBLS of lemon juice in your 1 Cup measuring cup then fill with milk. Let it rest about 5 minutes so it curdles and you have buttermilk, sort of. You may double and triple and so on it is always 1 to 1. It works great.
Angela
It needs to be buttermilk, because the acidity of the buttermilk will react with the baking soda and promote rising on the bread
Diana
If I don’t have butter milk I make imitation butter milk by adding vinegar. I’ve never had a problem. I just let the milk and vinegar sit on the counter for about an hour or so to work it’s magic before I start making anything I’m putting it in. Also, you can add a bit of whey to the mixture as well.
Joanna
I used whole milk with a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. It worked great!
Tina
Fantastic idea!
Kirstin
I was wondering this also
Hari Chandana P
Wowww.. looks so delicious and awesome.. love the color 🙂
Stephanie
I also melt about 1/2 cup of butter before baking and our it over the dough and sprinkle some oats on top. It gives the crust a saty and crunchy crust.
Heidi
In the picture, it appears that at some point, you cut an X into the top of the dough – do you do this before all baking in the oven?
Mag O'Connor
It’s a cross not an X. Before baking, a cross is traditionally cut on the top of the soda bread loaf with a knife – often said to ward off the devil and to protect the household. But, since the republic of Ireland is mostly Catholic, the symbolism of the cross is blessing (crossing) the bread and giving thanks.
Kevin
That’s a myth made up by the Catholic church the cross or x whatever you prefer is to insure an even bake .Also you don’t need a cake tin just mould and put on a tray.ps try one teaspoon of b/soda.
Natalie Kaiser
It’s not necessarily a myth. Lots of Christian symbols and prayers were used as methods to ensure correct cook times before timers and temperature controlled ovens were necessary. Prayers or scriptures were often recited as a method of keeping time and even gauging temperature depending on how far you could get in a certain prayer, like a Hail Mary. Some of the reasons these worked were forgotten, and are now chalked up to superstition in spite of the scientific benefits that you have mentioned. It’s a little of both.
Paula McGuirk
It’s definitely a cross alright and it is a tradition in Ireland.
Heather
A nice tradition here in England too, and one I always like to do.
K. Carton
Yes… it is the sign of the cross. Irish blessing
Lea Jones
Yes it is a cross to bless the bread. IRISH tradition.
Linda
I agree. Should be 1 tsp baking soda otherwise there is a noticeable soda taste. Also I add a small handful of oatmeal to the batter.
Danelle M
Yes Heidi, I did, and I totally forgot to mention that in the directions. I’m going to fix it now. Thanks!