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Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Irish soda bread is a rustic, quick bread with a crisp crust and tender crumb, made with simple ingredients like flour, buttermilk, and baking soda. Its slightly sweet flavor is complemented by bursts of raisins. This easy, no-yeast bread is perfect for breakfast or teatime.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course bread
Cuisine Irish
Servings 12 slices
Calories 259 kcal

Equipment

  • 10” cast-iron skillet
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Whisk
  • Wooden spoon
  • Sharp knife

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries, optional
  • 1¾ cups cold lowfat buttermilk or kefir
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup more for dusting
  • 1 large egg, cold
  • 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter plus 1/2 Tbsp to grease pan
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375˚F and generously grease a 10” cast-iron skillet with 1/2 tablespoon butter.
    Greasing-the-Cast-Iron-Skillet-for-Irish-Soda-Bread-Preparation-6587589-683x1024-2860154 step 1
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
    Mixing-Dry-Ingredients-in-a-Bowl-for-Irish-Soda-Bread-1672863-683x1024-7097098 step 2
  • Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    Cutting-Cold-Butter-into-the-Flour-for-Irish-Soda-Bread-Dough-1270694-683x1024-6918434 step 3
  • Stir in the raisins, making sure to break up any clumps.
    Adding-Raisins-to-the-Mixture-for-Traditional-Irish-Soda-Bread-9340994-683x1024-1561219 step 4
  • In a separate measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk and egg together, then pour it into the flour mixture.
    Mixing-Buttermilk-and-Egg-for-Irish-Soda-Bread-Dough-8760783-683x1024-5626026 step 5
  • Stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined and the dough barely starts to come together.
    Combining-Wet-and-Dry-Ingredients-to-Form-Irish-Soda-Bread-Dough-7726168-683x1024-2289305 step 6
  • Transfer it onto a floured surface and, using floured hands, shape it into a round loaf, keeping the texture shaggy.
    Shaping-the-Irish-Soda-Bread-Dough-into-a-Round-Loaf-2535781-683x1024-2171712 step 7
  • If the dough is too sticky, dust lightly with flour, but avoid over-mixing to prevent toughness.
  • Place the dough into the buttered skillet, then use a sharp knife to cut a deep “X” on top.
    Scoring-the-Top-of-Irish-Soda-Bread-Dough-with-a-Knife-5915513-683x1024-5898779 step 9
  • Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Notes

  • If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 ¾ cups milk with 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • The deep “X” on top allows the bread to expand evenly while baking and prevents cracking.