Easy Irish Soda Bread
We LOVE this easy Irish Soda Bread! I started making it for St. Patrick's Day but we like it so much it became a regular dinner time staple. So if you feel like stress baking, have last minute guests, or just need a slice of fresh baked bread, this is a great recipe to try.
I love that it doesn't require yeast, no rising or extra kneading required. Just make the dough and put it in the oven. Having homemade bread ready in about an hour will make you feel like a rockstar hostess!
Irish Soda Bread Ingredients
- Flour: You can also sub 2 cups with whole wheat flour without adjusting the ingredients
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Buttermilk: Need a substitute? Add 1 TB Lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let sit 5 minutes
- Egg
- Sweet version:
- sprinkle top with brown sugar
- Add optional mix-ins like: raisins, currents, or craisins after soaking in water to rehydrate them
Soda Bread Instructions
This Irish Soda Bread really is easy. The only caveat is letting the butter soften properly. Melted butter doesn't work very well.
- Mix all the dry ingredients, then add the softened butter and use your hands to combine.
- Then, add in the egg and buttermilk and continue mixing. It'll be the consistency of thick pancake batter.
- Finally knead the dough on a floured surface until the surface is smooth and not sticky.
- Shape into a dome on sprayed pan, slice an X across the top, then baste with extra buttermilk and melted butter.
You can also sprinkle brown sugar on top if desired and place in a preheated oven at 375° for approximately 45 minutes.
Re-baste the loaf every 15 minutes, sprinkling a little more brown sugar on top each time. Test for doneness after 30 minutes and watch it carefully the final 15 minutes.
This loaf was pretty crusty on the outside but so fluffy and delicious on the inside! It's like eating a giant biscuit.
Serve It Warm
The slightly sweet flavor of this Soda Bread is a perfect compliment to savory stews, like our favorite Potato Corn Chowder.
Best served warm out of the oven. If you do have leftovers, I recommend warming them first. It tends to get a crumbly when cooled.
Easy and delicious. There's a reason Irish kitchens have been making this bread for centuries. Bring the taste of the Irish to your next dinner party with this Easy Irish Soda Bread and let me know how you liked it!
If you make these ???, I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. And if you share photos, I want to see it too! Please tag us @partieswithacause on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. We love celebrating all your hard work!
Then join me, your Healthy Hostess for better-for-you holiday and party foods. Grab your free food substitution guide as the first step in your next healthy holiday gathering.
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More St. Patrick's Day Ideas
Green Avocado Hummus Healthy Recipe
Rainbow Salad – Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken
Shepherd's Pie Instant Potatoes With Gravy – Easy Recipe
Healthy Shamrock Shake Recipe – Dairy Free
St. Patrick's Day Irish Flag Veggie Tray
More Easy Dinner Party Recipes
- Simple Dumpling Soup That Tastes Fancy
- Healthy Fig Pizza Recipe With Blue Cheese
- Skinny White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
- Potato Corn Chowder Recipe
Easy Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cups All-purpose Flour
- 4 Tb White sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tb Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Butter softened
- 1 Egg
- 1 cup Buttermilk
For Basting
- 2 Tb Butter melted
- 2 Tb Buttermilk
- 2 Tb Brown sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Add in the softened butter and used hands to fully incorporate
- Stir in egg and buttermilk, dough will be like thick cake batter, slightly lumpy
- Place dough on floured surface and knead lightly
- Form into dome and place on sprayed baking pan
- Mix together remaining buttermilk and melted butter
- Slice top into an X and brush with basting mixture, then sprinkle with sugar
- Place in oven and bake. Basting every 15 minutes and sprinkling with additional sugar if desired
- Because ovens vary, check at 30 minutes with toothpick. Place back into oven for additional time unless toothpick comes out clean.
- Serve immediately with butter and a bowl of stew!
I lOVE soda bread. And so easy to make. I’ll have to try this recipe.
I lOVE soda bread. And so easy to make. I’ll have to try this recipe.
Try Steve Gamelin’s NoKnead Homemade Bread recipes (Google him) – you’ll no longer have a zero tolerance for yeast Ed breads!
I’ll definitely have to take a look. I just don’t have a lot of time to make bread but no knead seems like it might be doable. Thank you!
We love Irish soda bread! It’s a tradition in our house!
It’s the best! But I kind of forgot I could make it at other times of the year! It’s been nice having bread around now that I can’t find yeast.
Yum! I love soda bread! This brings back so many memories!
I didn’t grow up with it – even though I’ve got a lot of Irish blood – so this has been a really fun addition to our family. Thank you!
Looks so good! I haven’t tried making bread yet.
This is the bread to try then. It’s SO easy. It’s like banana bread. Just mix it up and throw it in the oven. No yeast, no waiting for it to rise. And it’s really yummy too!