Irish Soda Bread

Inspired by traditional Irish Soda Bread, this version is a bit sweeter and perfect with butter and jam. Or serve up a big slice with your St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

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Ok, so let’s just say right up front that I know this isn’t your traditional Irish Soda Bread. But like so many modern adaptations, I say it’s all about making it something you love and want to eat. And let’s just say that this bread is so good – I could barely keep my hands off of it!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, it’s fun to go and learn about all of the different Irish foods – Irish stew, boxty, coddle, colcannon. And really, it makes me sad that I don’t have more Irish recipes here on the blog. But I’m always about the bread, so I’m glad to be re-sharing this recipe from the archives today!

History of Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish Soda Bread originated when baking soda (or Bicarbonate of soda) was first introduced in the 1800s. It was a poor man’s bread, made from very few ingredients that most households had on hand. It would have flour, baking soda, soured milk (to activate the soda) and salt. It is also interesting to note that this bread was popular because you didn’t have to have an oven to make it, which most households did not have. It would be baked in a large cast iron pot with a lid on the stove.

Technically, the X, or cross, is cut into the top of the bread to evenly cook the bread. But I have read that there are some stories of people saying the cross was cut into the top as a way “to let the devil out of the bread”.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread wouldn’t have had butter in the bread, but would be served with butter on each slice.

How to Make Irish Soda Bread

If you have a fear of making bread, this is a great place to start because this is so incredibly easy to make!! Don’t be scared away by how many steps there are – it really is super easy!

1. Start by combining your dry ingredients. The flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. You can sift these together, although I usually just use a whisk to make sure they are completely and evenly combined.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour. Do this until you only have small pieces of butter remaining. It should have mostly all incorporated into the flour.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. This means that you will make a hole in the center of the flour mixture, pushing the flour up on the edges. This makes a “bowl” where you will add the wet ingredients.
4. Measure out your buttermilk, then add the egg to the buttermilk. Make sure the egg is lightly whisked.
5. Pour the buttermilk/egg into the well that you made in the flour mixture.
6. Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients together until almost all of the flour has been incorporated.
7. Pour the dough out onto a counter and knead it together just until the remaining flour has been incorporated. Do not over-knead the dough at this point. Form into a round loaf.
8. Transfer the dough to a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
9. Use a serrated knife to cut a large X into the top of the dough, about 1/4-inch deep.
10. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and buttermilk. Brush about 1/4 of the mixture over the top and sides of the loaf.
11. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
12. Brush the bread with about 1/3 of the remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the sugar.
13. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes.
14. Repeat the steps, brushing on 1/2 of the remaining butter mixture and sprinkling with 1/2 of the remaining sugar.
15. Bake for another 10 minutes.
16. Baste with the remaining butter mixture. If it has set back up, return the butter mixture to the microwave for 10 seconds to remelt the butter.
17. Sprinkle with the last of the sugar.
18. Bake the loaf until it is golden brown, then remove from the oven.

Tips for the best Irish Soda Bread

• If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a buttermilk substitute. I will say, though, that this bread is definitely better when you use the real deal. But a substitution will work in a pinch. To make a buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to every cup of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Do not overwork the dough. This bread will get tough if you work it too much.
• If you want more of a savory bread to serve with stew, simply omit the sugar that is sprinkled on the outside of the bread.
• Don’t forget to cut the cross, or the X, into the top of the bread. This helps the bread to cook more evenly.

More Quick Bread Recipes

Orange Blueberry Bread
Peppery Cheese Bread
Garlic and Cheddar Sour Cream Biscuits
Raspberry Lemon Breakfast Biscuits
Lemon Scones with Nutmeg and Cherries

Tools Used to Make this Irish Soda Bread

• I love to bake this in a cast iron skillet. I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe.
• You can use either a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. I love my pastry cutter and use it a lot!
• You’ll also need a pastry brush to brush on the butter mixture as the bread bakes. I like to use a silicone pastry brush.

Irish Soda Bread

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Irish

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Inspired by traditional Irish Soda Bread, this version is a bit sweeter and perfect with butter and jam. Or serve up a big slice with your St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

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Ingredients

Bread:

• ▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 8 tablespoons cold butter
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• ▢ 1 egg, lightly beaten

Topping:

• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 4 tablespoons buttermilk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter into the flour until only small, flour covered bits remain.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
• In another bowl (or I just use the liquid measuring cup) mix together the buttermilk and the egg. Mix with a wooden spoon until almost all of the flour is incorporated. Dump the dough (and any remaining flour) onto a counter and knead a few times to incorporate all of the flour. If the dough is too sticky and is sticking to the counter, you can add more flour, but you shouldn’t need to.
• Transfer the dough to a 10” cast iron skillet. Use a serrated knife to score an X shape across the top of the dough.
• In a small bowl, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the buttermilk. Brush about 1/4 of this mixture over the top of the bread.
• Place the skillet into the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
• When the timer goes off, baste the bread with 1/3 of the remaining butter mixture, then sprinkle evenly with 1/3 of the sugar. Return to the oven and set the timer for 10 more minutes.
• When the timer goes off, repeat the above steps with the buttermilk mixture and the sugar, using 1/2 of the remaining ingredients. If needed, you may need to pop the buttermilk mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to make it liquid again. Set the timer for 10 more minutes.
• When the timer goes off, repeat the above steps one last time, using the rest of the buttermilk mixture and the rest of the sugar.
• Return the bread to the oven and allow it to bake until the top is golden brown, another 10-15 minutes, for a total bake time of about 45-50 minutes.
• Allow the bread to cool for a bit before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes:

This bread is best served the day it is made. If you have leftovers, store it wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, but the crust will soften and get a little bit sticky.

If you want to serve this as a savory bread with stew, omit sprinkling the sugar on the crust.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 285kcal (14%), Carbohydrates: 35g (12%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 13g (20%), Saturated Fat: 8g (50%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 48mg (16%), Sodium: 376mg (16%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 7g (8%)

Keywords: Irish Soda Bread