Irish Soda Bread
This Irish soda bread is simple and easy to make, and so delicious! It has the perfect tender crumb and light texture.
I promised you more St. Patrick’s Day recipes after posting my favorite easy beef stew a few weeks ago, and then I got completely distracted and forgot to schedule posts for last week. (Whoops!) But, better late than never, right? I’ve got the most fantastic Irish soda bread recipe to share with you today. I’ve tried lots of recipes for soda bread in the past, and even posted a few of them on the blog, but this one is the absolute best I’ve tried. My husband got it from a co-worker, who got it from his Irish grandmother, and it is truly the best! It’s surprisingly light and fluffy for a bread made without yeast, and has the perfect combination of crisp crust and tender middle. It is so good!
One of the things I really like about this bread is that you don’t need to be too fussy about it. It’s totally okay for it to look a little rustic! Like most quick breads, you’ll want to be careful not to over-mix it or it will end up tough and dense. I love it with the raisins included, but if you’re not a fan you can certainly leave them out and it will still be totally delicious. It can be a little difficult to tell when the center of the loaf is baked through, so I always use an instant read thermometer and make sure it’s at least 190 degrees. (If you don’t own an instant read thermometer yet, it is such a lifesaver! I have this inexpensive one that I bought on Amazon, and I use it daily for testing everything from meat to bread to water temperature when I’m making bread. I love it!)
This Irish soda bread is delicious served alongside soups or stews, and it also makes a great breakfast with some scrambled eggs and fresh fruit on the side. My family loves it and begs for it every St. Patrick’s Day!
Irish Soda Bread
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two knives. Toss the raisins in the flour mixture. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and baking soda. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Shape the dough into a round loaf on a sheet of parchment or a greased baking sheet, and cut two deep slashes on the top in a cross shape with a sharp knife. Bake 45-50 minutes, until golden brown.
