Made with no yeast and only 5 ingredients, this moist, tender Irish soda bread will be baked and ready to slather with butter in just one hour!
Save the Recipe!
Bread has always been my favorite food, and this Irish soda bread has earned a permanent spot at the top of the list! Why? Because it’s one of those rare loaves that somehow looks and tastes fancy but is totally no-drama, just like my Beer Bread Recipe. You don’t need yeast, proofing, or any of the usual bread drudgery. This traditional recipe requires just flour, baking soda, salt, a pinch of sugar, and buttermilk, to create the perfect golden crust, soft, moist crumb, and just enough tang to make butter sing.
I make this simple loaf all the time, because it’s absurdly easy, but mostly because it’s the perfect excuse to eat bread at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Slather it with butter, dunk it in stews and sauces, toast it for tea, or just eat it straight out of the oven like a savage. No judgment.
Why You’ll Love This Irish Soda Bread Recipe
- Ready in an hour: it doesn’t get easier than that!
- No yeast or rising: no stress.
- One-bowl recipe: no special equipment.
- Just 5 ingredients: you probably have them already.
- Beyond versatile: serve for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
What Is Irish Soda Bread?
Irish soda bread is the easiest, no-drama quick bread you’ll ever make! It’s made with no yeast and no waiting around, just flour, baking soda, salt, a pinch of sugar, and buttermilk. Mix, shape, score a big cross on top, bake, and boom! You’ll be diving into a big loaf of golden, tender goodness that’s literally made for slathering with butter and dunking into stew in no time.
Ingredients
5 ingredients? Yup, you heard it right. That’s all you need!
- All-purpose flour – all-purpose flour is the closest flour in protein and texture to what they use in Ireland. In Ireland, they use soft Irish wheat flour which isn’t typically available in the US.
- Full-fat buttermilk – buttermilk provides acidity for the baking soda to react, while giving soda bread its signature touch of tang. The full-fat version yields the most tender, moist crumb! Learn How to Make Buttermilk if you don’t have any on-hand!
- Salt – salt enhances flavor. It’s so important or else your loaf will taste flat!
- Baking soda – baking soda reacts to the acidity of buttermilk, causing Irish soda bread to rise without yeast.
- Granulated sugar – a very small amount makes all the difference, softening the flavor and helping brown without making the bread “sweet”. If you are adding raisins or currants, increase the sugar amount to 1 tablespoon to enhance the flavor.
- Raisins or currants (optional) – if you’d like a sweet bread, raisins or currants are traditional!
How to Make Irish Soda Bread
When it comes to bread making, this is about the easiest recipe possible! Here’s an outline; for the full recipe, see the recipe card below.
- Combine dries: Preheat oven to 425℉. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar.
- Add buttermilk: Make a well in the center, and pour in buttermilk. Stir until a sticky dough forms. Do not overmix!
- Rest: Rest dough in the bowl for 10 minutes.
- Form loaf: With floured hands, turn dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, gently forming a 2-inch thick round loaf. Smooth the top.
- Score: Using a sharp, floured knife, score the top of the loaf with a ½” deep “X”.
- Bake: Bake for 37-43 minutes until golden and hollow when tapped.
- Cool: Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before enjoying!
My Pro Tip
Tips for the Best Irish Soda Bread
- Dough should be sticky: soda bread requires lots of buttermilk to form a tender, moist crumb.
- Score loaf with a cross: scoring the loaf helps it cook evenly and form a crispy crust.
- Don’t overbake: Irish soda bread can dry out quickly, so pull it right when the loaf sounds hollow and the crust is golden.
- Serve warm: it’s best enjoyed right away, fresh and warm!
Make Ahead and Storage
Irish soda bread is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, or at least same-day!
If you need to make it ahead, let cool completely before wrapping in a clean kitchen towel for 1-2 days. Keep in mind the crust will soften over time.
To freeze, cool completely and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil or a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months, thawing at room temp and warming in a 350℉ oven.
Serving Suggestions
The best way to serve Irish soda bread is traditionally, with gobs of Irish butter or Homemade Butter, and/or with Strawberry Preserves, marmalade, or honey.
For breakfast, serve with tea, coffee or Cold Brew Coffee.
For lunch or dinner, serve alongside beef, lamb, Colcannon Potatoes and Fried Cabbage.
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If you’ve tried this Irish Soda Bread Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups full-fat buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Optional: 1 cup raisins or currants, and increase sugar to 1 tablespoon if using
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar.
- Make a well in the center, and pour in buttermilk. Stir gently until a sticky dough forms. Do not overmix or knead!
- Rest dough in the bowl, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- With floured hands, turn dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, gently forming a 2-inch thick round loaf. Smooth the top of the loaf as best as possible.
- Using a sharp, floured knife, score the top of the loaf with a ½” deep “X”. Dough will be sticky, so press into the dough, rather than sawing.
- Bake on the parchment-lined baking sheet for 37-43 minutes until golden and hollow when tapped. If browning too fast, lightly tent with foil toward the end of baking.
- Immediately cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving warm with butter.
Video
Notes
- Use full-fat buttermilk for a tender, moist, richly flavored loaf!
- Resting the dough for 10 minutes allows it to hydrate, yielding an extra tender, moist crumb.
- Scoring the loaf before baking helps expansion and encourages a crisp crust.
- Prefer to test the internal temp of your loaf? It’s done when it reaches 195-200℉ in the center.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This bread tastes like it took hours to make. Little does everyone know, it took only an hour! Woohoo!
It’s the best part, right! ๐
Grace