Irish Soda Bread Recipe
This Irish Soda Bread Recipe is a great recipe to pair with soups, stews, and salads. A soft interior texture paired with a crispier outer crust makes me love this simple recipe! Finding a good bread recipe can be challenging, so hold onto this one!
Use this simple soda bread recipe to make your homemade loaf of bread. There is nothing like hot and fresh bread straight from the oven!
Most people don’t think about making soda bread when they imagine a warm loaf of bread, but it’s time we should!
Although Irish soda bread is often a dense and hearty bread made with baking soda, this bread is so soft and fluffy, reminiscent of Naan bread, an Indian leavened flatbread that’s soft, fluffy, and often cooked in a tandoor oven.
This recipe offers the perfect balance of softness and chew, which is why I love making it all the time. My boys enjoy dipping this into soups!
Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Seeing a bread recipe that doesn’t call for yeast is fun. Don’t get me wrong. I love making yeast bread, but sometimes, I don’t have the yeast to complete the entire recipe.
Since I can use baking soda in place of that need, I find myself navigating towards this simple bread recipe more often. Not only that, but I do enjoy the flavor!
My boys have given this recipe two thumbs up every time I make it, so I’m sharing it with you. Just follow the steps, mix, and bake to golden brown perfection! That first bite will have you hooked!
How can I make buttermilk?
Buttermilk is easy to make at home and has a zesty flavor profile that is perfect for baking. You can make your own if you don’t have any at home!
Homemade substitutions include adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk. These options effectively mimic the characteristic tanginess of traditional buttermilk.
To make 1 cup of buttermilk, you can either use 1 T of lemon juice OR 1 T of vinegar mixed with cold milk. The amount of milk you would add would be to make it a cup’s worth.
Mix the wet ingredient with an equal portion of cold milk until thoroughly combined. Let them mix for about 5 minutes, and use.
There you have it – quick and simple homemade buttermilk!
Specialty Ingredients:
The following ingredients are affiliate links on Amazon because they may be a bit hard to find in your normal store. I wanted you to be able to see exactly which things we are using.
Reminder, not all ingredients in the Homemade Irish Soda Bread Recipe are linked above, just the ones that may be a bit difficult to find or that you might be unsure of what to look for
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Must Have Resources:
When making Soda Bread at home, you really need to have the following Amazon affiliate tools on hand.
Make it a Meal:
Meal Planning is my favorite way to plan out all the food recipes for the family. From breakfast to dinner, it’s an easy process that gets easier and easier as you learn how to do it.
Below is a sample of how you can get started!
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Main Dish: Tangy Crockpot Pork Stew Recipe
Vegetable Side: Asparagus Spirals
Refreshing Drink: Cotton Candy Mocktail Recipe
Don’t forget Dessert: OREO Brownie Cookie Bars Recipe
Best Bread Recipes:
Once you make this Irish Bread Recipe, it’s time to explore all the other bread recipe options! Some are simple and easy to make, while others can be a bit more time-consuming!
Here are some great options for baking bread – and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
This Flavorful Unicorn Monkey Bread Recipe is a fun one for the kids. Plus, it’s sweet, so great for dessert, too!
Everyone loves when I make this Flavorful Applesauce Wheat Rolls Recipe!
Add this easy Naan Bread recipe to your next meal plan!
This list of Delicious Bread Recipes is also a great choice to have on hand!
I love the flavor of this Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze!
Need a simple sandwich bread? Look no further than this Easiest Breadmachine Sandwich Bread!
Check out how you can make this Delicious Bread Machine Cranberry Hot Cross Buns Recipe!
Why is it called soda bread?
Soda bread uses baking soda as its leavening agent rather than traditional yeast. This type of bread dates back to the mid-19th century when baking soda became widely available in Ireland and was used instead of more expensive ingredients such as yeast.
As a result, it quickly became a popular choice among Irish households due to its easy preparation and low cost.
Its name originates from its main ingredient, baking soda, and the word ‘bread’ signifies what it is made for; food.
With this, Soda bread has become an iconic staple within Irish culture and cuisine.
More Buttermilk Recipes:
- Incredible Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Bread Recipe
- Blueberry Angel Biscuits Recipe
- 25+ Red Velvet Recipes
Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Cup(s) flour all-purpose or whole wheat both work great
- ¼ Cup(s) sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ Cup(s) softened butter
- 1 Cup(s) buttermilk
- 1 egg
- Ingredients for Bread Topping:
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the softened butter and continue to mix. Using a pastry cutter makes cutting in the butter and other wet ingredients much easier.
- Once the butter is distributed throughout the flour, add the buttermilk and egg, continuing to work with the pastry cutter. Once the ingredients are well mixed, start working the dough with your hands and knead it into a round-shaped loaf.
- Place the loaf on a non-stick baking surface. You can combine the 3 tablespoons of butter and buttermilk to form a topping for the bread. Using a pastry brush, brush the mixture all over the loaf.
- Now it’s time to put the loaf in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for about 50 minutes. You can tell when it’s done when it’s nicely browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool slightly, but do try to enjoy it warm. It’s delicious!
Nutrition
Are you going to enjoy this Irish Soda Bread with soup or stew? Or do you have something else in mind?
