Irish soda bread is a no yeast bread that's hearty yet soft with an incredible crusty exterior. This easy quick bread is ready in 45 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: Irish soda bread, Irish soda bread recipe, soda bread, soda bread recipe
Servings: 8servings
Calories: 211kcal
Author: Nikki Gladd
Ingredients
3 ¼cupsflour
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonbaking soda
12ouncesbuttermilk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle flour onto the center of a cast iron skillet or baking stone, or line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in all of the buttermilk at once. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix until a dough forms. Transfer dough to a clean floured surface.
With floured hands, gently roll out dough just enough to tidy it up. Flip the dough over and carefully round the dough to about 1 ½ inches deep. Place on prepared baking pan.
Using a sharp knife, score a deep cross in the round loaf, making sure to let the cuts go over the sides of the bread.
Bake for 20 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce heat to 400°F and let bake for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown. The bread is cooked with it lets a hollow sound while tapping. Cool on wire rack.
Notes
Dough: To keep the bread soft, be careful not to over work the dough.Crust: The crust for soda bread will be crispy and golden brown, but if you notice it's browning too quickly you can loosely cover with foil.Buttermilk: This recipe is best with real buttermilk, but in a pinch you can substitute it by souring regular milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar.Baking pan: I like to use my cast iron skillet to bake this Irish soda bread, but you can use any large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or seasoned baking stone.Egg: You can add an egg to the mix for a richer and more dense bread. I like a lighter loaf, so I leave it out.Add ins: Try stirring raisins, currants, caraway seeds, or orange zest into the flour mixture for a different variation of soda bread.Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate only and may vary.