Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (2024)

ByJenna Shaughnessy

Jump to Recipe

This traditional Irish soda bread recipe is the one I grew up eating in Ireland. It’s simple to make with a few basic ingredients and tastes delicious served warm with butter or jam.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (1)

My recent trip home to Ireland was a great excuse to indulge in some of my favorite Irish foods: a full Irish breakfast (sausages, black pudding, brown bread and fried eggs), a hearty stew, some fresh farmhouse vegetable soup and my mom’s delicious soda bread.

Oh the soda bread. It’s one of my favorite snacks, breakfasts and lunches. Slathered with butter (Kerrygold is best!) or jam and accompanied by a hot cup of Barry’s Irish tea. You can’t beat it. I regularly make this quick bread for my own family, but it’s always nice when my Mom makes it for me, too.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (2)
Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (3)

With St. Patrick’s Day only a few short weeks away, I thought it would be fun to bake up another loaf to share with you. Irish soda bread requires only a few ingredients and comes together quickly.Because it’s a “quick bread”, it doesn’t have yeast or require any time to rise. Just mix all the ingredients together and bake.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (4)
Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (5)

You can either add or omit the currants (or if you can’t find them, substitute with raisins). I like it equally both ways, and both ways are just as traditional. American tastes tend to favor a sweeter soda bread than what is traditional in Ireland, so feel free to modify the recipe by adding 2 tbsps of sugar if you’d prefer.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (6)

I also sometimes switch out the last cup of flour for whole wheat, which I did this time since I ran out of white flour (by the way – this wheat one is my favorite). You could also use all wheat flour for a brown soda bread.

You don’t have to use buttermilk (you can use whole milk or make your own buttermilk), but it really is a must for the true taste of Ireland.

Make sure you eat a warm slice of this soda bread before you start handing it out, though. Because if my household is anything to go by, it’ll be gone in a flash!

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (7)

I do hope you’ll enjoy my Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe. I personally think it’s the best Irish soda bread recipe!!

If you’re not a traditionalist, feel free to switch out the currants for any fruit you prefer – orange zest or dried cranberries would probably be pretty yummy! And if you decide to make it, I’d love to know what you think!

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (12)

This traditional Irish soda bread recipe is the one I grew up eating in Ireland. It’s simple to make with a few basic ingredients and tastes delicious served warm with butter or jam.

Jenna Shaughnessy

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Serving Size 16

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all purpose flour plus extra to dust currants
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 tablespoons butter cut into small cubes
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 cup currants (optional)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

  • Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

  • In a small bowl, lightly beat the buttermilk and egg together using a fork or hand whisk. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. The dough will be sticky but shouldn’t be wet. If it’s too wet to handle, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

  • Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface. Making sure your hands are clean, knead lightly a few times into a round loaf. Don’t be afraid to add more flour as needed. The dough should not be wet or really sticky at this point.

  • Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and cut a deep cross into the top with a sharp knife.

  • Bake for to 50 – 60 minutes or until the top is golden and when tapping underneath it has a hollow sound.

  • Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with lots of butter!

Notes

Traditionally, I was taught to make the dough by creating a well with the dry ingredients and then pouring the wet ingredients in and mixing with bare hands. I like to avoid the mess these days so I use my mixer and it tastes just as good.

If you choose to omit the currants, you may want to add 1 tablespoon of sugar instead.

Jenna Shaughnessy

Jenna is a self-taught baker originally from Ireland, infusing Irish charm into every dish and showing you that baking can be fun and fearless.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to know when Irish soda bread is done baking? ›

Bake the for 40-45 minutes. You'll know it's done when the exterior is brown, craggy and split at the score, and the bread is well-risen. Tap your knuckles on the bottom, and if it sounds hollow, it's done.

Can you over knead Irish soda bread? ›

Barely any kneading is necessary, but if you overknead it, it makes for a pretty tough bread. Start by mixing the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. Dice up the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers.

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.

Does all Irish soda bread have caraway seeds? ›

In the United States, "Irish soda bread" generally means a somewhat sweet white bread made with eggs and butter and studded with raisins and caraway seeds — the "soda" in the name comes from the baking soda (or "bread soda" in Ireland) used to leaven it instead of yeast and kneading.

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

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.

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).

Should Irish soda bread dough be sticky? ›

You're looking for a dough that's soft but not overly sticky or wet, and that holds together enough to make a loaf that can hold its shape on the sheet pan. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add up to 1/2 cup additional buttermilk, a tablespoon or so at a time, until it comes together.

Why is my soda bread still doughy inside? ›

In most situations, an undercooked loaf of bread can be fixed by returning it to the oven for a few more minutes. This is true for loaves where the outside of your bread may look fully set, but the inside of the bread is still gummy. Place the loaf back in a preheated oven at 350° F for 10-20 minutes.

Why is my soda bread dough so sticky? ›

Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.

Should you refrigerate Irish soda bread? ›

Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.

Why is my Irish soda bread so dry? ›

If your bread's texture is dry:

You might have added too much baking soda, too little liquid or not baked it at high enough temperature.

Is Irish soda bread better the next day? ›

Homemade Irish soda bread is a treat, but it's a treat that is best eaten on the day that it's baked. It doesn't keep nearly as well as yeast-risen breads. As long as you have enough good-quality butter and some nice fruit jam, that shouldn't be a problem.

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 is Irish soda bread supposed to 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? ›

In Ulster, the wholemeal variety is usually known as wheaten bread and is normally sweetened, while the term "soda bread" is restricted to the white savoury form. In the southern provinces of Ireland, the wholemeal variety is usually known as brown bread and is almost identical to the Ulster wheaten.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Gregorio Kreiger

Last Updated:

Views: 6233

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gregorio Kreiger

Birthday: 1994-12-18

Address: 89212 Tracey Ramp, Sunside, MT 08453-0951

Phone: +9014805370218

Job: Customer Designer

Hobby: Mountain biking, Orienteering, Hiking, Sewing, Backpacking, Mushroom hunting, Backpacking

Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.