Easy traditional Irish soda bread
Irish Soda Bread is a quick, traditional and yeast free bread which comes together very quickly - from start to finish, it can be ready in just over half an hour. No kneading, no fermenting and no proving... a very simple bread to make which is perfect to serve alongside hearty stews and soups. I love to serve mine with Irish stew or a beef and Guinness stew - it's perfect for dunking or soaking up leftovers in your bowl!
Made with only 4 simple ingredients - flour, bicarb/baking soda, buttermilk and salt - the bread has a crusty exterior and a soft, tender interior. While not as light and fluffy as yeast-based breads, Irish Soda Bread is a wonderfully rustic and satisfying bread that pairs well with soups and stews, or enjoyed simply with butter and maybe your favourite spread.
A staple in Irish cuisine, there are many variations that can be made to the base recipe - such as adding brown sugar or honey, seeds or grains, or fruits like raisins or currants.
What is Irish Soda Bread?
Whereas most breads use yeast to make them rise, soda bread got its name from using baking soda (aka bicarbonate of soda) as its rising agent. A chemical reaction occurs between the acidity of the buttermilk and the alkalinity of the soda, giving the bread its rise and characteristic taste and texture.
Due to the buttermilk used in the dough, soda bread has a slight tangy flavour. The texture is dense and hearty, with a crusty rustic exterior and a soft, slightly crumbly interior.
Soda bread ingredients
This is a simple bread!
- Plain flour - any variety should be fine. You don't need to use a strong bread flour. Avoid cake flours which have less than 9% protein.
- Salt.
- Bicarb soda - aka baking soda, this is what gives lift to the bread by reacting with the buttermilk.
- Buttermilk - brings flavour and acidity to the bread, which reacts with the bicarb to cause it to rise.
Step-by-step guide to making Irish soda bread
Preheat oven to 200C (390F) - for conventional oven use 220C (430F).
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (1) and mix well (2).
Add buttermilk to the dry ingredients (1). Use your hand or a spoon (2) to bring the dough together (3) and then place on your lightly floured bench. Do not knead but gently work the dough together and shape into a circle (4).
Transfer to tray - transfer the loaf to a baking tray lined with baking/parchment paper (1). Cut a cross in the top (2).
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through. Test for doneness by tapping the base of the bread - it should sound hollow.
Serve warm with butter.
Tips
- Don't overwork the dough. Unlike most breads, you don't want to develop the gluten.
- Work quickly - baking soda and buttermilk have a chemical reaction. If you don't get it in the oven quickly it will affect how the bread rises.
- You can check the bread for doneness by tapping the bottom of the cooked loaf; it should sound hollow.
- Don't add extra flour if the dough seems sticky; a wetter dough results in a better result.
- Soda bread is best eaten on the day it's made, but if you have leftovers, it makes brilliant toast the next day!
What to serve with soda bread
Traditionally, soda bread would be served with:
- Irish stew
- Soup
- Corned beef
It's also great with
- Spreads - jams, honey, chutneys, etc
- Cheese
Fairies?
One of the distinctive features of soda bread is the cross cut into the top of the dough before baking. This cross has both practical and cultural significance.
Traditionally, the cross cut into the dough was believed to ward off evil spirits and let the fairies escape from the bread as it baked.
In practice the cross allows heat to penetrate the dough more evenly, allowing the bread to cook evenly and preventing the loaf from cracking during baking. These traditions contribute to the unique character of soda bread.
Add your own touch
Here are some ideas for you to think about how you can add your own touch to your soda bread:
- Add seeds like sunflower, flax, sesame.
- Add fruits such as raisins, currants or sultanas.
- Try spices such as ground cinnamon, ground cloves, or ground nutmeg.
- Herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
- Add grated cheese to the dough.
Irish Soda Bread
| Prep | Cook | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | 30 mins | 35 mins |
- 450g (1 lbs) plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp bicarb soda aka baking soda
- 360ml (1.5 cups) buttermilk that's US cups, if using metric cups use 1 tbsp less
- Preheat oven to 200C (390F) - for conventional use 220C (430F).
- Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Add buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Use your hand or a spoon to bring the dough together and then place on your lightly floured bench. Do not knead but gently work the dough together and shape into a circle.
- Transfer to tray - transfer the loaf to a baking tray lined with baking/parchment paper. Cut a cross in the top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through. Test for doneness by tapping the base of the bread - it should sound hollow.
- Serve warm with butter.
- Mix dry ingredients well - this is important for soda bread, because it's not kneaded to disperse the ingredients. You need to make sure that the bicarb soda is evenly dispersed through the flour.
- No kneading! - don't overwork the dough! Unlike most breads, you don't want to develop the gluten. If you overwork the dough, you'll knock the carbon dioxide out and you'll have a flat loaf.
- Work quickly - baking soda and buttermilk have a chemical reaction. If you don't get it in the oven quickly it will affect how the bread rises.
- Variations - experiment with adding brown sugar or honey, seeds or grains, or fruits like raisins or currants to the dough.
- Buttermilk substitute - I have tried a few and I'm not a fan. It's worth hunting out buttermilk to do this bread justice!
