Best 8 Classic Irish Soda Bread Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Classic Irish soda bread is a traditional Irish quick bread that has a distinctive slightly sour flavor due to the use of buttermilk and baking soda. The bread is typically dense and crumbly, with a crisp crust and a soft, chewy interior. It is often served warm with butter and jam, or as part of a hearty meal with soup or stew. Making Irish soda bread is relatively easy, and there are many different recipes available. Whether you are a seasoned baker or trying your hand at baking for the first time, there is sure to be a classic Irish soda bread recipe that is perfect for you. Let’s explore some of the best classic Irish soda bread recipes and find the one that suits your taste and skill level.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

REAL TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD



Real Traditional Irish Soda Bread image

A recipe passed down through an Irish family for many generations contains none of the modern supplements like yeast or sugar. This is a simple, very effective recipe.

Provided by barry

Categories     Breakfast and Brunch     Breakfast Bread Recipes

Time 25m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 4

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

Steps:

  • Heat a heavy skillet, griddle, or cast-iron frying pan over medium-low heat.
  • Stir the flour and salt together in a bowl, and sift in the baking soda. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in the buttermilk. Stir the mixture quickly together into a dough, and turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times, just until it comes together. Gently form the dough into a flattened, round cake about 1/2 inch thick, and cut the round into quarters with a floured knife.
  • Sprinkle a little bit of flour into the bottom of the hot skillet, and cook the wedges 6 to 8 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 252 calories, Carbohydrate 50.6 g, Cholesterol 2.5 mg, Fat 1.2 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 8.5 g, SaturatedFat 0.4 g, Sodium 380.2 mg, Sugar 3.1 g

CLASSIC IRISH SODA BREAD



Classic Irish Soda Bread image

This traditional Irish soda bread can be made with an assortment of mix-ins such as dried fruit and nuts, but I like it with a handful of raisins. -Gloria Warczak, Cedarburg, Wisconsin

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 45m

Yield 1 loaf (8 pieces).

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
2 large eggs, room temperature, divided use
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup raisins

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, whisk together 1 egg and buttermilk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in raisins., Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Shape into a 6-1/2-in. round loaf; place on a greased baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cross in top of loaf. Whisk remaining egg; brush over top., Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 210 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 59mg cholesterol, Sodium 463mg sodium, Carbohydrate 33g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 6g protein.

DELICIOUS IRISH SODA BREAD



DELICIOUS IRISH SODA BREAD image

An easy quick bread make with buttermilk and other simple ingredients. Delicious served warm with butter. A real treat!

Provided by Yvonne Pratt

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup raisins or currents

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Cut the cold butter into 1/4 inch cubes and add it to the flour mixture.
  • Using a pastry cutter or your hands work the butter into the flour until it resembles course pea-size pieces.
  • Add raisins or currant to the flour/butter mixture.
  • Make a well in the mixture and pour the buttermilk into the flour/butter mixture.
  • Stir it with a fork until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  • Turn the dough onto a floured worksurface and gently kneed into a ball.
  • Form the ball into a 6-7 inch circle.
  • Cut an X on the top of the dough about 1 inch deep.
  • Bake on a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet about 35-40 minutes until golden brown.
  • Cool a bit on a wire rack before serving with butter, honey or jam.

ROSIE'S TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD



Rosie's Traditional Irish Soda Bread image

This Irish soda bread recipe was passed on to me by a dear friend of my mother's who was born and raised in Ireland. It's the best Irish soda bread I have ever had. It is much higher, lighter and softer than most other recipes I have seen. It has an excellent flavor and texture, as well.

Provided by Steve P.

Categories     Quick Breads

Time 1h10m

Yield 1 9 inch bread, 16 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pint sour cream
2 eggs
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional but I always use them)
3/4 cup raisins

Steps:

  • Combine dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl beat eggs and stir in sour cream.
  • Add the egg and sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.
  • Batter will be very thick.
  • Add the raisins and caraway seeds and stir well with wooden spoon or knead in with your hands.
  • Place batter in a greased 9 inch springform pan.
  • Dust the top with enough flour so that you can pat the batter like a bread dough evenly in the pan without it sticking to your hands.
  • With a knife make a shallow crisscross on the top.
  • Bake for 50 minutes in a preheated 350ºF oven.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 211.6, Fat 6.7, SaturatedFat 3.6, Cholesterol 38.2, Sodium 263.4, Carbohydrate 33.9, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 11.4, Protein 4.6

BEST IRISH SODA BREAD



Best Irish Soda Bread image

This recipe is similar to the one passed down through generations of my Irish family. I rarely touch a mixer because kneading by hand makes the bread taste so good.-Kerry McCormack, Marietta, GA

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 1h

Yield 2 loaves (8 slices each).

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold butter, cubed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins or 3 tablespoons caraway seeds

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk; stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in raisins. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead 5-6 times., Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a round loaf. Place 6 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. , Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 255 calories, Fat 12g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 57mg cholesterol, Sodium 343mg sodium, Carbohydrate 31g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 5g protein.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD



Traditional Irish Soda Bread image

This makes a fairly dense, rustic (ugly, even) loaf of bread that is tasty and not sweet. It is crusty and rough on the outside, chewy inside. Nummy hot with lots of butter! Note: sometimes (depending on humidity etc) it takes a bit more than the 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk--just keep adding a little bit at a time until it all holds together as stated in the recipe.

Provided by Halcyon Eve

Categories     Quick Breads

Time 1h

Yield 1 loaf, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 -1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.
  • Combine dry ingredients in a deep bowl. Gradually stir in 1 cup buttermilk, beating constantly, until dough is firm enough to be gathered into a ball. If dough crumbles, add up to 1/2 cup more buttermilk, 1 tbsp at a time, until it holds together.
  • Place on a lightly floured board and pat into an 8-inch flattened round loaf.
  • Place loaf on baking sheet and slash a 1/2-inch deep "X" into the top of the dough with a small, sharp knife.
  • Bake at 425 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
  • Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 239.8, Fat 0.9, SaturatedFat 0.3, Cholesterol 1.2, Sodium 481.4, Carbohydrate 49.2, Fiber 1.7, Sugar 1.6, Protein 7.5

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD



Traditional Irish Soda Bread image

This crusty, traditional Irish bread is a proud product of the peasant hearth-and the most suitable companion to Irish Stew. Soda bread requires no rising time, as baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk act as leaveners.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Breakfast & Brunch Recipes     Bread Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 7

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup whole-wheat graham flour
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 2/3 cups buttermilk

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or your fingertips, blend in butter until it resembles small peas. Add buttermilk all at once; stir with a fork until mixture holds together.
  • In the bowl, pat the dough into a domeshaped loaf about 7 inches in diameter. Lift out dough; transfer to lined sheet.
  • Lightly dust top of loaf with flour. Cut a 3/4-inch-deep cross in top, reaching almost all the way to edges. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD



Traditional Irish Soda Bread image

While soda bread with add-ins like currants and caraway can be delicious, it's not at all authentic. In Ireland, soda bread tends to be plainer and more restrained. Here is a classic recipe adapted from Darina Allen, an Irish television personality and the owner of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry. This soda bread is is best eaten still steaming from the oven, slathered with good salted Irish butter that melts on contact with your slice. It's a fine accompaniment to corned beef and cabbage, should you be making that dish this St. Paddy's Day. Or make this recipe all year long. That's how they do it in Ireland.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     brunch, easy

Time 1h

Yield 1 loaf, 8 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 4

450 grams all-purpose flour (about 3 1/2 cups)
3 grams fine sea salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
4 grams baking soda (about 3/4 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, more as needed

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Using your hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but not wet and sticky.
  • Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. Knead the dough lightly for a few seconds, then pat the dough into a round about 1 1/2 inches thick. Place it on a buttered baking sheet and using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross in the center of the dough reaching out all the way to the sides.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and continue to bake until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 174, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 35 grams, Fat 1 gram, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 188 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams

Tips:

  • Use buttermilk that is at room temperature. This will help the bread rise properly.
  • Do not overmix the dough. Overmixing will result in a tough bread.
  • If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
  • Be sure to score the top of the bread before baking. This will help the bread rise evenly.
  • Bake the bread in a preheated oven. This will help the bread rise quickly and evenly.
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.

Conclusion:

Classic Irish soda bread is a delicious and easy-to-make bread that is perfect for any occasion. With its simple ingredients and quick preparation time, this bread is sure to become a favorite in your home. So next time you are looking for a tasty and satisfying bread, give classic Irish soda bread a try. You won't be disappointed!

Related Topics