Bread machine Irish soda bread is an easy version of classic Irish soda bread. The bread bakes up soft, moist, and slightly sweet, making it perfect for serving with corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
If you love Irish soda bread but want a more hands-off way to make it, this bread machine Irish soda bread is a great option. Adapted from my family-favorite Irish soda bread recipe, this version lets the bread machine handle the mixing and baking.
The result is a soft, moist loaf with a lightly sweet flavor that’s perfect served warm with butter alongside corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt with the flour but be sure that it doesn’t touch the yeast.
- Brown sugar: The bread is mildly sweet. If you would prefer less sweet bread, you can decrease the sugar to 1/3 cup or not pack the sugar.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute with this recipe.
How to make Irish soda bread in a bread machine
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Add the ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order given by the manufacturer.
Step 2: Press the cake cycle. Scrape down the sides in the first two minutes of the cycle.
Step 3: Once the cycle has ended, remove from the pan and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing (or for cleaner slices, let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving with plenty of butter).
Recipe Tips!
- Bread machine: If you’re new to using the bread machine, check out my how to use a bread machine guide for tips to help you make tasty bread with your bread machine.
- Bread machine model: I have four different bread machines that I use to test my recipes. I have an older Cuisinart as well as the newer Cuisinart model. I also have the KBS, and a Hamilton Beach.
Recipe FAQs
Irish soda bread is a quick bread that uses baking powder and/or baking soda as the leavening agent instead of yeast. Because it doesn’t require rising time, it can be mixed and baked much more quickly than traditional yeast breads.
Irish soda bread is often served with butter or jam, but it’s especially good alongside hearty meals like corned beef and cabbage, soups, and stews. The soft texture and slightly sweet flavor make it perfect for soaking up sauces and broths.
Irish soda bread can become dense if the dough is overmixed or if too much flour is added. Measuring the flour correctly helps keep the bread soft and tender. You can either weigh the flour (click “metric” just above the ingredients for the weights) or sift, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level.
Storage
Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature. The bread is best eaten within 2-3 days.
More bread machine recipes!
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Bread Machine Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk at room temperatures
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ cups raisins or currants
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to your bread machine pan in the order given by the manufacturer.¼ cup butter, 1 ½ cups buttermilk, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 large egg, 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ¼ cups raisins or currants
- Press the cake cycle. Scrape down the sides in the first two minutes of the cycle.
- Once the cycle has ended, remove from the pan and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing (or for cleaner slices, let cool to room temperature before slicing and serving with plenty of butter).
Notes
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt with the flour but be sure that it doesn’t touch the yeast.
- Brown sugar: The bread is mildly sweet. If you would prefer less sweet bread, you can decrease the sugar to 1/3 cup or not pack the sugar.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute with this recipe.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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