Irish Soda Bread is the ultimate quick bread to use as a side for soups, stews, and all sorts of meals. There’s no yeast so there’s no waiting. Just mix and bake! This traditional recipe delivers a crispy, golden crust with a soft, tender inside thatโs just begging for a smear of butter.
Why Our Recipe
- Super easy, no yeast, and ready in under an hour. Just mix, shape, and bake!
- Crispy crust, soft inside which is perfect for slathering with butter.
- Keep it plain or add raisins and/or caraway for extra flavor.
This bread is a go-to for me for a lot of reasons. It uses pantry staples I always have on hand and I can have warm, fresh bread on the table in under an hour. Adding raisins is traditional, and so is caraway, but you can always leave it plain. We particularly love this bread with caraway for extra flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: You start with 2 ยฝ cups and then add more as needed. Too much flour will make the bread dense, so add gradually.
- Salt: This bread is salty and savory. If you prefer less, you can reduce it to 1 teaspoon.
- Baking Soda: Make sure that baking soda is fresh because this is where the rise comes in without yeast.
- Buttermilk: If you donโt have buttermilk, mix 1 ยฝ cups milk with 1 ยฝ tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Raisins: Traditional in Irish soda bread! Use regular or golden raisins, or swap them for currants. Or leave them out entirely.
- Caraway Seeds: These add a slightly nutty, anise-like flavor which we love.
How Much Flour to Add
Flour amounts in bread recipes always vary a little because things like humidity and altitude can affect how much youโll need. Thatโs why itโs best to start with the lower amount. In this case, we start with 2 ยฝ cups while you are still stirring, and add more flour while kneading.
The dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and easy to work with. If itโs too wet and sticks heavily to your hands or the counter, sprinkle in more flour a little at a time until it firms up. You want it tacky but not overly sticky. Be careful not to add too much, though! Extra flour can make the bread dense and dry.
Since Irish soda bread is a quick bread with no yeast, the dough will feel softer than traditional bread dough, and thatโs okay. A little stickiness is normal, but it shouldnโt be dry or crumbly.
Raisins and Caraway: Optional
Raisins and caraway seeds are both traditional in Irish soda bread, but whether you add them is totally up to you! You can add both, just one, or skip them entirelyโeither way, this bread will turn out delicious!
Raisins add pops of sweetness that balances out the saltiness of the bread. Regular or golden raisins both work, or you can swap them for currants, which are slightly smaller and a little tangier. Not a fan of raisins? Feel free to leave them out.
Caraway Seeds bring a nutty, slightly anise-like flavor that gives the bread a more distinctive taste. They arenโt overpowering, but they do add noticeable flavor. If youโve ever had rye bread, youโll recognize the subtle hint of caraway. If youโre unsure, try adding just a little and see what you think!
What to Bake it On
You donโt need any fancy equipment to bake Irish soda bread, but different pans can change the crust and texture a bit.
Baking Sheet: The easiest and most common choice! A simple baking sheet lets the bread cook evenly and develop a crisp crust all around.
Cast-Iron Skillet: Want to go old-school? A cast-iron skillet holds heat really well, which helps create a beautifully golden, crisp crustโsimilar to how it was traditionally baked.
Dutch Oven: If you like a softer crust, baking in a Dutch oven with the lid on traps steam, which makes the bread extra tender. This mimics the Irish “bastible” method.
Storage Instructions
Irish soda bread is best enjoyed fresh. Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container, plastic bag, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days.
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This is so simple so easy and soooo good ! Prep and cook time is accurate (most recipes way under estimate prep time, especially for novice cooks). A couple of things. Recipe states 3 to 3 1/2 cups; in the ingredients, the steps call for 2 1/2 cups whisked together. The video calls for 3 1/2 cups whisked together. For the novice this must be confusing. I whisk 3 cups to split the difference. I also use my danish whisk so my consistency is a bit more doughy to start than the video shows. Pro tip: make sure hands are well floured before kneading / shaping bread. A dash of flour on the surface is all you need to start. You can always add a bit more if dough is too sticky to handle. You can over do it and you can’t undo it, so a little at a time is best to get “just enough”. Again fantastic easy recipe; everyone loves this bread and marvels at my “skill”. Haha .. if they only knew ๐
I have not made soda bread in a long while, but since my husband brought a big bag of raisins home this afternoon the thought struck me. I wanted something on the sweeter side to have with tea so I added a bit of sugar and an egg for more richness. I also had some sourdough discard and lacking buttermilk so I combined milk with some Greek yogurt and the sourdough in a blender to add acidity and help improve shelf life. The result turned out wonderfully.
Wow! First time I have ever seen someone have the traditional Irish soda bread recipe. My mother in law makes it like this and so did her mom who was from Tipperary. Thank you.
We love this bread. Have made a couple different mix ins..
*Raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg
*Jalapeno and cheddar cheese
*Regular (1 with 2 tsp salt rest with 1 tsp salt,
we like either or)
* Pepper Jack
Love this recipe easy to add things to it. Easy to make.
* Made loafs or circles (for chili or soup)
Just made 2nd loaf. Added sliced kalamata olives, capers, fresh minced garlic & herbs. 1st try was not salty enough at 1tsp, used 2 this time and it was delicious! Both times, the crust was done waaay before inside. I tried 415ยฐ this time, will try lower next time. This is so easy and yummy! I have fibromyalgia, and find most recipes unbearable. Really appreciate this one, I will be making it often!
Since when is soda bread a salty bread? I have been collecting soda bread recipes for years. This is a first I have seen 2 tsp salt.
Great easy recipe. Made it with and without raisins. Great either way.
Great recipe. This is so much like the recipe that was handed down to me from my great, great grandmother from Cork, Ireland. Since grapes/raisins are not indigenous to Ireland, I use โCraisinsโ which are more like the wild Bilberries that were common throughout the land. BTW, Iโm glad you said, โCrossโ on the top of the loaf. Itโs tradition. ๐
I made this for the first time today. I should have watched the video first as there are differences in amounts of flour and salt. The instructions in the recipe were not clear to me. Having said that, it turned out well.
While there are others who found this too salty, I used the 2 tsps of table salt and did not find it salty at all. Just some saltiness in the crust. The next time I will use the coarse sea salt.
Overall an easy and good recipe that I will make again.
This bread is so good you wonโt believe how easy it is to make. This recipe is added to โmy favorites โ.