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
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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
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131 comments
Sue
Can you tell me please is 1 & 3/4 of a cups of buttermilk or 1 3/4 cup of buttermilk I find it easier when it’s in weight measurement but would love to give this recipe a try looks delicious
Leah
Idk if you’re still interested, but it is 1 and 3/4ths cups of buttermilk. So, 1 cup, plus an additional 3/4ths of a cup.
Lena
Awesome recipe, thank you (very simple, comes out perfect each time)! Family keeps asking me to bake again. I’ve made your version twice and will do again tonight. I do add some sugar since I have a teenage boy. I also brush some of the leftover buttermilk on the top before I bake it.
Martin
Danelle, I was wondering what type of flour you used for this. I have been trying to make different breads during the lockdown and this is next on my list.
Hope
Made this today! Just pulled it out of the oven and it’s cooling before we try it! Looks incredible and smells amazing! I rubbed butter on the top and sprinkled with sugar. Can’t wait to try it!
Danelle
I just used regular, all-purpose flour. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe though, so probably most any kind would work.