Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that uses baking soda as a leavening agent and doesn’t require any yeast. This Irish soda bread is a family favorite. It has a bit of sweetness in the bread that balances out the baking soda and buttermilk. The bread has a soft, biscuit-like texture that is perfect for soaking up butter!
I tried a lot of recipes for Irish soda bread before I found one that I liked. Many of the recipes that I tried were super crumbly or far too bitter for my liking.
I found a recipe that had sugar in it, and I played around with it until I had a version that I was happy with. This recipe is a little different than some of the traditional recipes because it has a few ingredients that add more flavor to the bread (brown sugar and vanilla), and those ingredients help to balance out some of the tang of the buttermilk and baking soda.
This version has become a family favorite. Give it a try, and it may become a favorite at your house, too!
What makes Irish soda bread different?
This bread is a quick bread, which means that it uses baking soda as a leavening agent and doesn’t require any yeast.
Rather than the fluffier texture of a yeast bread, the bread has a soft, biscuit-like texture that is perfect for soaking up butter!
Ingredient notes
Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. The butter should be cool enough that it dents when pressed but shouldn’t be warm or smooshy.
Sugar: This bread is a little sweeter than other versions that I’ve tried. If you would like a less sweet bread, cut the sugar back to 1/4-1/3 cup.
Vanilla: While untraditional, it does add a little something to the bread. Feel free to omit it if you prefer.
Flour: To properly measure the flour either weigh the flour or sift or stir the flour to break it up, lightly spoon into the measuring up, and level. Avoid packing in the flour to avoid a heavy loaf.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute with this buttermilk substitute recipe. Also, low-fat or full-fat buttermilk will work in this recipe
Raisins: You can substitute currants if you prefer.
How to make Irish soda bread
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan.
Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until well-combined.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk. Mix in until just combined. Don’t overmix the dough.
Stir in the raisins. Spread the dough into prepared pan.
Using a sharp knife, make cut a cross into the top of the dough. This allows the dough to cook more uniformly.
Bake 40-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
Remove it from the pan, and let it continue to cool on the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations
Two easy ways to change up the flavor in this bread are
>>to substitute currants for raisins and
>>to add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds to the bread.
Storage
Irish soda bread isn’t a great keeper. It’s best eaten in the first 2 days.
>>To store: Place the bread in a large, resealable bag.
Can I freeze Irish soda bread?
>>To freeze: If you’d like to make the bread ahead of time, you can freeze it. Bake the bread as-directed, and let it cool to room temperature.
Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. You can store the bread in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More St. Patrick’s Day recipes!
Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
- 9-inch round pan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 1 ¼ cups raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan.
- Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix until well-combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk.
- Mix in until just combined. Don't overmix.
- Stir in the raisins.
- Spread the dough into prepared pan.
- Using a sharp knife, make cut a cross into the top of the dough.
- Bake 40-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove it from the pan, and let it continue to cool on the rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. The butter should be cool enough that it dents when pressed but shouldn’t be warm or smooshy.
- Sugar: This bread is a little sweeter than other versions that I’ve tried. If you would like a less sweet bread, cut the sugar back to 1/4-1/3 cup.
- Vanilla: While untraditional, it does add a little something to the bread. Feel free to omit it if you prefer.
- Flour: To properly measure the flour either weigh the flour or sift or stir the flour to break it up, lightly spoon into the measuring up, and level. Avoid packing in the flour to avoid a heavy loaf.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute with this recipe. Also, low-fat or full-fat buttermilk will work in this recipe
- Raisins: You can substitute currants if you prefer.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Cynthia Bliss says
I just made this and the taste is excellent. It took 55 minutes and I baked it to an internal temperature of 190*. I forgot to use buttermilk and used regular milk instead. It turned out fine.
Kate says
Thank you!
Charla says
I have seen recipes before for soda bread but never knew how to include it in meal planning. Ideas for including as part of meal, dessert or other suggestions.
Kate says
In addition to serving it on St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef, soda bread goes well with a number of other foods. This version is a little sweeter, so you may want to adjust the sugar depending on what you serve it with. The texture and the flavor make it great with soups and stews. You can also serve it warm with a generous pat of butter for dessert.
Penni says
Delicious! Best recipe I’ve tried!
Kate says
Thank you!! Glad you liked it!