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Irish soda bread in a cast iron skillet.
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Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that uses baking soda as a leavening agent and doesn't require any yeast. 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!
Course bread
Cuisine Irish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 244kcal
Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Equipment

  • 10-inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ 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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Add butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer.
    ¼ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, 1 large egg
  • Mix until well-combined.
  • Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk.
    3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • Mix in until just combined. Don't overmix.
  • Stir in the raisins.
    1 ¼ cups raisins
  • Spread the dough into prepared pan.
  • Using a sharp knife, make cut a cross into the top of the dough.
  • Bake for about 30-45 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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg