Easy homemade Irish soda bread is perfect for any day of the week. Dense and soft with an incredible crusty exterior.
No kneading. No rising. No yeast. No waiting for hours! Quick, easy, and delicious. Your house will smell like a bakery.
A traditional quick bread made with simple ingredients. Crusty outside, soft inside, a must-try for bread lovers. Great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this quick baking soda bread recipe.
Life is busy. My sundried tomato and olive bread takes a little time to make, but worth the effort. Traditional Irish soda bread is the perfect way to enjoy homemade bread using minimal ingredients. Made in a fraction of the time.
When you can make delicious biscuit recipes in a snap, like Gramma’s drop biscuits, life is good. Give these cottage cheese biscuits a try too. So much better than the famous store-bought tinned variety.
So that the heck is soda bread anyway? A quick bread that does not use yeast or require rising time. It produces a dense and moist loaf with a golden crust.
If you are new to the bread-making experience, this easy recipe is the perfect place to start. It does not require any yeast. Instead, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk.
Traditionally the 4 basic ingredients include flour, baking soda, buttermilk, and salt. It can also be made with a combination of whole wheat flour and regular flour. Some recipes also include the addition of raisins.
I bet your family will like it so much it will become your favourite side. We absolutely love it with tomato crab soup.
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, it pairs perfectly with this easy corned beef and potato on the stove dinner. A must along side Guinness Irish stew.
Basic Soda Bread Ingredients
- flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- butter
- buttermilk
How To Make Easy Irish Soda Bread In Minutes
You will be a pro in no time. Full instructions are in the recipe card.
- Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the buttermilk.
- Mix with a spatula to combine.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and mix until it forms a ball, adding a little more flour as you work the dough.
- Place on a baking sheet.
- Score and bake.
Suggestions / Recipe Tips
- Do not over-work the dough. It should have an uneven and shaggy appearance. This dough has more of a scone like texture. Add a bit more flour as you work it into a ball.
- Be sure to score the top of the bread before baking.
- Always use cold butter. The colder the butter the less sticky the dough will be.
- If you choose to bake the bread in a cast-iron skillet, add a few minutes to the baking time as it will take a little longer.
- If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, here are some great buttermilk substitutes.
- Adding the salt on top before baking is optional. Course sea salt is perfect for this.
How long will it last? It will dry out quickly, so it is best eaten the day of baking. For longer use, wrap it tightly or place it in an airtight container. It will last for 3-4 days.
Can you freeze it? Yes, you can. Tightly wrapped it will freeze well for 3-4 months.
Why Is There An X On Top Of Soda Bread?
Depending on where you get your facts, there are lots of legends. People believe the X on top symbolizes:
- to let the fairies out.
- the four corners represent the four provinces of Ireland!
- often said to ward off the devil and to protect the household.
- blessing the bread and giving thanks.
From a baking perspective, cutting the dough lets heat penetrate into the thickest part of the bread. Allowing it to stretch and expand while baking.
What is the difference between Irish soda bread and Irish brown bread?
Soda bread is slightly sweet. Think of a fresh-baked scone. It contains white flour, which gives it a mild flavor.
Brown bread is savory. It contains whole wheat flour, molasses, and oats. It has a nutty flavour.
Baking bread does not have to be time-consuming and complicated. This easy-to-make recipe makes an appearance quite often on our dinner table.
Try this recipe alongside:
- Chunky Chili, the perfect comfort food that will warm you up in a hurry
- Red Wine Lamb Stew takes comfort food to a whole new level of deliciousness. Great for date night.
- Mom’s Pea Soup always needs some great bread for dunking.
Looking For More Quick and Easy Bread Recipes?
- We love Cheezy Cornbread with chili. A must for the cast iron skillet.
- Have some bananas to use up? Basic Banana Bread is always a great place for them.
- Another no yeast option is Onion Bread, perfect for soups, stews, and chilis.
Easy Irish Soda Bread (Baking Soda Bread)
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter (cubed)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F and choose your preferred baking pan, sheet or cast iron skillet. I just used a parchment lined baking sheet.
- In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the butter and mix until crumbly.
- Using a spatula add the buttermilk (not all at once) and mix until moist. The dough will have a shaggy texture.
- Turn dough onto floured surface and blend with your hands until it forms a round ball. Add a bit more flour to make it easier to handle. Try not to overwork it. Flatten with your hand slightly to form a disc about 7-8 inches across.
- Place on baking sheet. Score an X on the top with a sharp knife (about ½ way through the bread.
- At this point, you can top with the coarse salt if you like.
- Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. Check with a cake tester. The top should be browned, and the bread will have a hollow sound when you tap on the bottom.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool. At this point, I am ready to rip off a chunk!!
Emily
There’s nothing better than homemade fresh bread, this looks like such a great recipe!
Homemade & Yummy
Especially when you can make this easy.
Nico @ yumsome
I imagine the fairies would be very happy to not be trapped inside a ball of hot baking dough! Ha ha!
This looks really great; I’ve never come across it made with butter before but I have to admit that it does look really good!
Homemade & Yummy
HAHAHHA…yes that is a good thing…I wouldn’t want to be trapped in there either.
Tina
I fell in love with soda bread too! It’s amazing how easy it is and so tasty. That little bit of soda I think gives it character. My favorite way to eat it other than fresh out of the oven with a smattering of butter is toasted in the toaster then smothering it with butter. Good stuff!!
Homemade & Yummy
Yup….as long as butter is involved this is golden.
Megan Marlowe
My best friend’s mother, growing up, made the BEST Irish soda bread and I have yet to find a recipe that compares. Yours looks almost exactly like hers so I simply cannot wait to try it. Not that I mind when an Irish soda bread doesn’t taste quite like the one I remember, as they are all good in this red head’s eyes!
Homemade & Yummy
YES…and so easy to make. Perfect to make all year long.
Tracy Koslicki
Oooh I LOVE fresh bread recipes, especially ones that are easy and make you feel like a baking master! Love that salt on top…. mmmm!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes you feel like a bread baking pro with this super easy recipe. Hope you give it a try.
Camilla Hawkins
I do love soda bread as it’s so quick and easy to knock up and oh so tasty:-)
Homemade & Yummy
Yes it is….so you can have freshly baked bread any time you like.
Julia
Even though it’s non-traditional, I also like adding butter to my soda bread, just like you. You and I seem to have a very similar taste, as I also absolutely adore the smell of the freshly baked bread. Thanks for the recommendation of using buttermilk powder. I have a big bag of it as I use it for traditional yeasted dough but I never know when it actually can be used in other recipes or not. So, it’s good to know that this recipe works well with the powder also.
Homemade & Yummy
I know…fresh baked bread is the best!! The aroma is amazing…and just warm bread and butter, I could eat all day long. As for the buttermilk…yes it works well.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
You had me at Irish Soda Bread. This is one of my favorite breads to make and you’re so right — so many different variations on it. I make one with caraway and golden raisins, which I love, but this one looks so crusty and delicious. Can’t wait to try your version — and St. Patty’s Day is right around the corner…
Homemade & Yummy
This bread is so easy to make. We use it all year long….the next best thing to “real” bread.
Jennifer
Just in time for the St. Patty’s day menu. I have always loved Irish Bread, maybe its because my Grandpa was Irish. I love how simple it is to make and that you added your own “flare” to it. I might have a hard time sharing this loaf.
Homemade & Yummy
This is the easiest bread to make…like ever. We use it all year long for a great side to soups, stews and chilis.
Patty
I love making my bread and will love to try your soda bread, I never had soda bread before, that sounds so easy to make and I know my family will love it!
Homemade & Yummy
This is the easiest bread to make for sure.
Leah
I love soda bread, and this looks so fluffy and yet crusty. I will need to make this asap, and smear some butter all over it, warm out of the oven! Thanks for the inspiration!
Homemade & Yummy
Warm bread and butter…nothing better.
Veena Azmanov
I love making bread at home but have not many much soda bread or sour dough. I can imagine eating it with my favorite tepenade or pesto.. yum.
Homemade & Yummy
This is such a quick and easy bread to make any night of the week.
Sarah
Oh! It’s been a really long time since I’ve had Irish soda bread. It’s so delicious with soup!! I need to make a batch soon (and I love Kerrygold butter too!)
Homemade & Yummy
Yes….we are having some with soup tonight….so good.
Denise
I love that this is a quick bread! I always thought bread making was difficult because of the kneading and rising and what not. I will definitely give this a try next week with a big pot of stew or soup. My family will love it!
Homemade & Yummy
Well this is the next best thing to the REAL thing….and once you make it you will see just how easy it is.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
This looks so easy and delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Homemade & Yummy
It is the easiest way to make bread ever.