In the midst of the cold and rainy March weather, the bright glow of St. Patrick’s Day is so welcome. I look forward to my corned beef, cabbage and potatoes every year — but nothing beats a slice of buttery Irish soda bread filled with raisins to top it all off. My family and I always buy several loaves of soda bread from various bakeries and farm stands in search of the best one. This year, however, I decided to try something a little different: I discovered a recipe for Irish soda bread that’s ready to pop in the oven in 10 minutes. The best part? The bread comes out perfectly browned and crisp on top with a delicious and fluffy middle! Keep reading for the simple soda bread recipe along with my home baker’s tips to nail a delicious loaf in no time.
How is soda bread made?
Traditional soda bread contains flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk and, sometimes, raisins. Once these ingredients form a dough, it’s shaped into a round loaf and baked. Although this bread isn’t made with yeast, the reaction between the baking soda and buttermilk produces carbon dioxide that helps the bread rise. This results in soda bread that tastes like a mild biscuit — with hints of sweetness from the raisins. Slices of this bread can be smeared with butter or served with hearty dishes like beef stew or corned beef and cabbage.
The popularity of soda bread
This bread became a part of Irish cuisine around the mid-1800s as baking soda was more readily available than before. “The chemical magic between baking soda and an acidic substances was a discovery made by many scientists, but the unique combination of flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk eluded many of them but eventually it became the recipe of the daily bread in Ireland in the second half of the 19th century,” Ed O’Dwyer, founder of Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread, explains.
While baking soda’s accessibility contributed to this bread’s popularity, it’s still beloved because it doesn’t require a lengthy rise time like yeast breads do. This allows you toprep the dough in mere minutes before popping it in the oven. Talk about hassle-free homemade bread!
If you want to make your own Irish soda bread this St. Patrick’s Day, try this recipe from the Stay at Home Chef food blog. It contains just 5 ingredients and comes together in just 45 minutes!(For more St. Patrick’s Day fare, try these recipes for Irish corned beef and cabbage and Irish stew.)
In large bowl whisk together 2½ cups flour, salt, and baking soda. Add buttermilk and raisins and stir until dough just comes together.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth ball forms. Gradually add more flour as necessary to achieve dough that’s firm and not sticky.
Dust outside with flour and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Use sharp knife to slash one inch deep cross on top of the loaf.
Bake in oven 35 minutes or until golden brown.Cool on wire rack before slicing and serving.
Home baker’s tips for making this recipe
Knowing that my oven is getting a bit old and doesn’t heat up as well as it should, I preheated it to 445°F. If you struggle with the same issue, I suggest getting an oven thermometer and checking the true temperature of your oven. The temperature will dictate how well your soda bread bakes.
Additionally, I found that 2½ cups of flour was nearly the perfect amount as I mixed the ingredients together. When I turned the dough out onto a wooden board, I added about ¼ cup of flour and only lightly kneaded it. (I prefer a very soft bread full of moisture. But if you prefer a bread that’s a little less doughy, add a bit more flour until it reaches your desired consistency.)
My taste test
Biting into a thick slice of this Irish soda bread was heaven! The outside had a deeply satisfying crunch, and the middle was perfectly soft and chewy, with just the right amount of raisins. I’ll admit that the dough was just a bit too salty for me (especially because I topped my slice with a pat of salted butter). In the future, I’ll use one teaspoon of salt instead of two. Now that I know how simple it is to make soda bread, I’ll be whipping up a loaf every St. Paddy’s Day going forward!
For more delicious bread ideas, check out these recipes!
Cottage Cheese Bread Has Just 2 Ingredients, Boasts 50% More Protein + It’s Easy To Make
Cover and bake until well risen and golden, 45 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until chestnut brown, with an internal temperature of 210°F (99°C), 12 to 15 minutes longer.
Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require any yeast. Instead, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk. This Irish soda bread recipe is my grandmother's and has been cherished in my family for years. It's dense, yet soft and has the most incredible crusty exterior.
Irish soda bread is prepared without yeast. Traditionally it has just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The baking soda and buttermilk react to cause the dough to rise.
Unlike yeast breads, soda bread relies on the reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and the acid in the buttermilk to give it it's rise, as well as it's familiar flavour. In terms of texture, it is quite a dense bread and slightly chewy.
(Some recipes call for yeast and kneading, but know this isn't required.) You don't have to wait hours or overnight for a rise, either. In fact, you don't even need to wait at all: Dough for Irish soda bread can go right into the oven after making.
Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean; the interior of the bread will measure 200°F to 210° on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, loosen its edges, and after 5 minutes turn it out onto a rack to cool.
It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.
The Southern Irish regions bake their loaves in a classic round fashion and cut a cross on top of the bread. This was done for superstitious reasons, as families believed a cross on top of the bread would let the fairies out or ward off evil and protect the household.
In Ireland, soda bread would be eaten at breakfast with tea, at lunch with cold meat or cheese, or at dinner with soup or stew or other main dishes. I think it's especially delicious with Dublin coddle or minestrone soup (totally not Irish, but still very delicious when paired with this filling, wonderful bread.
Ireland, for one, has embraced it's kind of bread – the soda bread. It is a basic staple among the Irish that they call it Irish Soda Bread. It's common to see the locals pair this famous bread with a bottle of Guinness too.
Your oven is too hot if it is uncooked in the center. Try lowering the temp on your oven by 25F and extending the bake time. Don't put anything on the top of the bread to aid in browning until the last few min. of cooking, and use an instant read thermometer (target temp to pull is 190F).
Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.
Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).
You spent too much time kneading the dough. Baking soda starts to react and release its gas as soon as it comes into contact with the sour milk. Take too long and the gas will escape before the bread is baked. Kneading will also cause chewy gluten to form.
Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.
You do not want to over knead. Place the dough in a cast iron or baking sheet with parchment paper. With a sharp knife cut an “x” on the top of the dough. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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