This Melt-In-Your-Mouth Irish Soda Bread Recipe Is Ready to Bake in Just 10 Minutes (2024)
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.
You're looking for a dough that's soft but not overly sticky or wet, and that holds together enough to make a loaf that can hold its shape on the sheet pan. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add up to 1/2 cup additional buttermilk, a tablespoon or so at a time, until it comes together.
The essential ingredients in traditional Irish soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk reacts with the base of the baking soda to provide the bread's leavening. This leavening from buttermilk and baking soda is what gives the bread its name: "soda bread."
The four ingredients were soft wheat flour, salt, baking soda and sour milk (buttermilk is more commonly used today). Since yeast wasn't readily available, the combination of baking soda and buttermilk acted as the leavening agent, causing the bread to rise.
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.
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.
Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.
If you've ever tried Irish soda bread and not liked it, don't go running off yet! 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).
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.
I was always told that the cross on the top of Irish Soda Bread was to symbolize the Catholic faith of Ireland, and the Gaelic Cross. Some say it kept the Devil out, but that is what a cross is supposed to do also. Turns out that is true but more importantly, it helps in the baking of the 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.
Not preheating your oven long enough will mean thst it isn't hot enough to get a good rise. Make sure the oven is up to temperature before you begin mixing the dough. Using a baking stone for good bottom heat will help your bread rise, but it needs at least 45 minutes to soak up the heat of the oven.
How to Eat Irish Soda Bread. This versatile bread works for any meal, but Irish soda bread is a natural for breakfast, whether simply spread with (Irish) butter and jam or alongside that hearty fry-up known as a full Irish breakfast. It's also wonderful with a cup of tea in the afternoon or as a late-night snack.
Irish soda bread only requires a few ingredients, including buttermilk. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to provide the bread's leavening. It also adds wonderful flavor!
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).
Why does my Soda Bread not cook in the middle? The reason why your soda bread isn't cooking properly is very often that your oven isn't calibrated correctly. Check your oven or adjust your temperature with the next try until you get it right. Baking is as much an art as it is a science.
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.
Your dough can become sticky when you add too much water or the flour isn't suitable for the type of dough you are making. Over proofing or fermenting the dough can also result in the gluten structure weakening causing sticky dough.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
