Irish Soda Bread

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With its hallmark crusty exterior and soft and tender interior, this Irish soda bread recipe is delicious enjoyed on its own slathered with butter or paired with your favorite Irish entrees and side dishes!

We visited Ireland twice last year and covered nearly every county in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Aside from taking in the landscapes and historic sites, I wanted to further research the traditional preparations for a few dishes I hadn’t already previously explored, including Dublin Coddle (found only in Dublin), Ulster Fry (found only in Northern Ireland), Gravy Rings and Cream Fingers/Derry Fingers (in Londonderry), white pudding and potato farls. Yes, recipes coming! But today I’m sharing a traditional Irish soda bread recipe with you along with a few non-traditional and optional add-ins that some modern-day Irish bakers like to include. It’s a no-fuss bread that’s quick to make and is beloved around the world!

What is Soda Bread?

Soda bread is a quick bread, meaning it uses baking soda and buttermilk as the leavening agent instead of yeast (cornbread muffins and skillet cornbread are also examples of quick breads). Similar to scones and Rock Cakes, soda bread requires no kneading or proofing, resulting in a dense, rather dry crumb and a crunchy crust. Soda bread is best eaten straight from the oven while it’s still warm and the butter can melt into the crumb.

Different regions prepare their soda bread a little differently. The southern regions of Ireland generally bake their soda bread in round loaves with a cross cut into the top, while regions further north commonly flatten their soda bread into a round and then divide it into four triangles before baking them in an iron skillet.

Some Irish bakers include the raisins, others don’t (traditionally they weren’t included at all but have become more common among modern-day bakers). It’s purely personal preference. I love the touch of sweetness and the moistness they bring to an otherwise dry bread. It pairs beautifully with both sweet (e.g. butter and jam) and savory (with a homemade corned beef dinner) applications.

Irish Soda Bread vs Irish Brown Bread

While all Irish brown bread is also soda bread, not all soda bread is brown bread. Irish brown bread is a type of soda bread and while they are similar in that they are both quick breads – meaning they use baking soda instead of yeast as the leavening agent – they differ in their other ingredients. Irish soda bread is typically made with white flour while Irish brown bread is made with a combination of whole wheat and white flour and often some bran is added. Irish brown bread also commonly incorporates molasses and oats.

Where Did Soda Bread Originate?

Historians first documented early forms of soda in bread-making among Native Americans who used pearl ash, also known as potash, from wood ashes to make the bread rise. In the British Isles, early experiments with soda-leavened bread began in the early 19th century. The earliest reference was in the 1817 London publication of The Gentleman’s Magazine, which described a bread made from “poor quality wheat” (i.e. low gluten soft wheat) using carbonate of soda along with hydrochloric acid as the leavening agent. Once baking soda became commercially available in the 1830’s, this method of bread making made its way to Ireland where the first publication for Irish soda bread appeared in The Newry Telegraph in 1836. The wheat grown in Ireland was a soft wheat, low in gluten, that did not rise well with yeast but rose really well with baking soda, which made it ideal and so before long “soda bread” became a staple in every household.

This was also a time of tremendous hardship, widespread poverty and food insecurity in Ireland, and this quick bread – made with few and cheap ingredients – became a staple of necessity and a key for survival. Thus while soda bread didn’t originate in Ireland, it is firmly rooted in Irish culture, has become synonymous with the country of Ireland, and is one of its national dishes.

Irish Soda Bread Ingredients

In terms of the ingredients and the process, bread-making doesn’t get any simpler than soda bread. You’ll need just a handful of ingredients (all pantry staples) and the method is very simple. A traditional Irish soda bread is made strictly with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. No eggs (eggs make the soda bread more dense). Butter was not traditionally used, but some Irish bakers today prefer to use it, in small quantity. Raisins or dried currants are optional. Here’s what you’ll need to make traditional Irish Soda Bread:

• Flour: The type of flour you use makes all the difference in the resulting crumb. Irish soft wheat has a lower gluten content than regular all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour typically has a gluten content range of 10-12% while Irish soft wheat flour is typically 5-9%. Using all-purpose flour will give you a very hard crust and a rather tough interior crumb. To recreate the texture of an Irish soda bread (a pleasantly hard crust with a tender interior) I recommend either using all pastry flour (8-10% gluten) or part all-purpose flour and part cake flour (6-8% gluten). As an alternative to pastry flour you can use all White Lily flour which has a gluten content of 7-9%, but it can be difficult to find and it’s expensive.
• Baking Soda: The leavening agent.
• Buttermilk: This is required to activate the baking soda so that it can cause the bread to rise. But buttermilk also serves to create a softer, moister crumb as well as to give the bread a great flavor. While with most recipes you can get away with substituting milk and vinegar for the buttermilk, for the best texture and flavor for your soda bread I highly recommend making the effort get real buttermilk at the store.
• Salt: I recommend kosher or sea salt.
• Butter (optional): While the oldest recipes don’t include butter, some Irish bakers today like to include a little to improve both the flavor and texture of the soda bread. I agree with them. Too much butter makes the soda bread dense and heavy, but just a touch enhances it. But butter is optional and you may omit it if you prefer (add an additional 2 tablespoons buttermilk).
• Sugar (optional): Sugar is not traditionally added but a little helps to balance the tanginess of the buttermilk and I think really improves the overall flavor.
• Raisins (optional): Traditionally Irish bakers did not include dried fruit but it has become more common in modern times, though it’s more commonly included in American soda bread than it is in Irish soda bread. I personally love the touch of sweetness and bit of moisture that raisins contribute. Instead of raisins you can use dried currants, dried cranberries or even cherries. Diced dried apricots and dates can also be used. If you prefer you can omit any dried fruit entirely.
• Nuts (optional): Nuts are not traditional but are optional and make a tasty addition. Walnuts and pecans both make great choices. If using add 1/4 cup chopped nuts.

If you want to make a traditional 19th century Irish soda bread, use only the flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk and omit the other ingredients.

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Soda bread is easy and quick to make, requiring very minimal kneading and no proofing time. Here’s how to make Irish soda bread:

• Position the rack in the upper middle portion of the oven and preheat it to 400 F/205 C.
• Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then use your fingertips or a fork to work in the softened butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add the buttermilk and stir gently with a fork just until the mixture starts comes together. Don’t over-mix. If the mixture is too dry to come together, add a little more buttermilk, but be careful not to add too much..
• Turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface and knead it until it becomes a cohesive mass. It should not be smooth, it should be bumpy and airy. Do no over-knead it or your soda bread will be tough.
• Gently shape it into a 6-inch/15cm round and place it in a parchment-lined cast iron skillet or cast iron pot. Score a cross shape on the top of the loaf. Bake it for 40-45 minutes until it’s golden brown brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. For more precise results bake it until the internal temperature is 200 F/93 C.
• Let the Irish soda bread cool for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Irish soda bread is best eaten the same day. Leftover soda bread is best if it’s toasted.

Storage and Freezing

Tightly wrap and store leftover Irish soda bread at room temperature where it will keep for 3 days. It can also be frozen, whole or sliced, for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature. For best results, toast leftover slices of soda bread.

How to Serve Irish Soda Bread

There are a number of ways you can enjoy your homemade Irish soda bread. Here a few ideas:

• Enjoy your Irish soda bread plain and simple, slathered with some good Irish butter. If you like, spread with jam or marmalade or drizzle with honey. Leftover slices are delicious toasted.
• Serve it with your favorite soups and stews. That includes Irish standards like Dublin Coddle, Guinness Stew, or a traditional Irish Stew with lamb.
• Serve it alongside your full Irish breakfast with eggs, sausages, bacon, black and/or white pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms and beans.
• Serve it as part of your St. Patrick’s Day dinner with Homemade Corned Beef, cabbage, carrots and Colcannon.
• Make a sandwich with corned beef and some Horseradish Sauce or mustard or use it to make a soda bread Reuben Sandwich!

Enjoy!

For more traditional dishes enjoyed throughout Ireland try my:

• Guinness Stew
• Irish Stew
• Boxty
• Colcannon
• Homemade Corned Beef
• Bangers and Mash
• Fish and Chips
• Scotch Eggs
• Barmbrack
• Treacle Tart