Soulitinerary

This irish soda bread recipe is quick, simple, and comforting—perfect for warm slices, soups, and everyday baking.

A classic irish soda bread recipe is proof that great bread doesn’t need yeast, long rises, or complicated steps.

What Makes Irish Soda Bread So Special

Soda bread isn’t “lazy bread.” It’s smart bread. Instead of yeast, it uses:

• Baking soda for lift
• Buttermilk for acid (to activate the soda)
• Gentle mixing to keep it tender

Think of it like a quickbread that pretends it’s rustic and mysterious, but really it’s just efficient and charming.

Ingredients (Precise, Practical, No Fluff)

This makes 1 round loaf (about 10–12 slices).

Dry Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – 4 cups (520 g)
• Granulated sugar – 3 tbsp
• Baking soda – 1 tsp
• Fine salt – 1½ tsp

The Rich Stuff

• Cold unsalted butter – 4 tbsp (½ stick), cut into small cubes
• Buttermilk – 1¾ cups (420 ml)
• Large egg – 1

Optional But Worth It

• Raisins (or currants) – 1 cup
• Caraway seeds – 1 tsp
• Orange zest – 1 tsp

Before You Start: The Soda Bread Rules I Live By

These are the lines in the sand.

Rule 1: Don’t Overmix

Overmixing develops gluten, and gluten makes soda bread tough. You want tender, not chewy.

Rule 2: Work Quickly Once Wet Meets Dry

Baking soda starts reacting the second it touches buttermilk. You shape and bake right away so you capture that lift.

Rule 3: Dough Should Look Shaggy, Not Smooth

A slightly rough dough bakes up light. A smooth dough bakes up tight and dense.

The “Golden Crust, Tender Heart” Method

Step 1: Heat The Oven And Prep The Pan

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment, or use a cast-iron skillet lined with parchment.
• Cast iron gives an extra-beautiful crust. Baking sheet works perfectly too.

Step 2: Mix Your Dry Ingredients Like You Mean It

In a large bowl, whisk together:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking soda
• Salt

Whisking evenly matters because baking soda clumps sometimes, and nobody wants a bitter bite.

Step 3: Cut In The Cold Butter

• Add cold butter cubes to the flour mixture.
• Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized bits.
• Those little butter pockets melt in the oven and create tenderness. This is how soda bread gets that “buttery but not greasy” crumb.

Step 4: Add The Mix-Ins (If Using)

• If you’re adding raisins, caraway, or zest, fold them in now.
• Raisins: toss them in 1 tsp flour first so they don’t sink and clump.
• Caraway: stir evenly so it doesn’t all land in one bite like surprise confetti.

Step 5: Add The Wet Ingredients

In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together:

• Buttermilk
• Egg
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
• Pour in most of the buttermilk mixture, saving about ¼ cup to adjust.

Step 6: Stir Gently Until Shaggy Dough Forms

• Use a wooden spoon to stir from the center outward.
• Stop when the dough looks shaggy and mostly combined.

If you see dry flour pockets:

• Add a splash of the reserved buttermilk mixture.
• Stir just until it comes together.
• You want dough that is soft and slightly sticky, not wet like batter and not dry like crumbly sand.

Step 7: Bring It Together With Your Hands (Quickly)

• Flour your hands lightly.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
• Gently fold it over itself 3–4 times—that’s it.
• No kneading. No workout. Just a tidy fold to bring it into one piece.
• If it sticks, dust with a tablespoon of flour. Don’t bury it under flour like you’re hiding evidence.

Step 8: Shape The Loaf

• Shape the dough into a round about 7–8 inches wide and 2 inches tall.
• Place it on your parchment-lined pan.
• A taller loaf stays moister. A loaf spread too flat bakes up dry and crumbly. We’re not making a bread frisbee.

Step 9: Cut The Cross (For Looks And For Physics)

• Use a sharp knife to cut a deep X on top—about ½ inch deep.
• This helps the bread expand evenly and bake through the center. Also, it looks iconic, and we love iconic.

Step 10: Bake In Two Stages For The Perfect Crust

• Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
• Without opening the oven too long, reduce heat to 400°F (205°C).

Bake another 25–30 minutes, until:

• Top is deep golden brown
• Loaf sounds hollow when tapped
• Internal temperature reads 195–200°F (if you use a thermometer)

Total bake time: 40–45 minutes.

Step 11: Cool Properly (Yes, You Must)

• Transfer loaf to a cooling rack.
• Cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
• Cutting too soon compresses the crumb and makes it gummy. Soda bread needs a little quiet time to finish setting inside.

How To Serve It Like A Person With Taste!!

Best Ways To Eat It

• Warm slices with butter (classic, unbeatable)
• Butter + honey (sweet comfort)
• Butter + jam (tea-time energy)
• With soup or stew (bread’s true purpose in life)
• If you serve it with ham soup, you’ll feel like you live in a cottage where everything smells amazing.

This loaf is the kind of baking win that makes you feel like the kitchen listens to you. It’s quick, rustic, and ridiculously satisfying, and once you’ve made it once, you’ll never look at store-bought bread the same way. Keep this irish soda bread recipe close—you’ll want it on rainy days, cozy dinners, and any time you need something homemade without the drama.