Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Celebrate this St. Patricks Day with Irish Soda Bread, an old-fashioned bread made with pantry ingredients. 

A delicious crusty quick bread that you can make any day of the year. A flavourful bread that depends on buttermilk for flavour. 

We love breads and so I make them often! But all my bread are made with yeast like this Honey Oatmeal Applesauce Bread, Freshly Baked Methi Crackers.

But I have always wanted to make quick bread! So this Irish soda bread it is. What I did not expect was the bread to be so very flavourful. From now on this no-yeast, oil-free bread is here to stay in my place.

Contents:

• Why MSK Irish Soda Bread recipe
• Let's get started making an Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe
• For Your Questions
• Some bread we love
• Recipe card
• Pin for later

Hello, and welcome! I am known as The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen, reinventing the foodie in you! 

Tired of choosing between tasty or healthy meals? No more! Here at the Mad Scientist’s Kitchen, I experiment with flavours and cuisines that are as nutritional as they are delicious.

Join me in my lab as we cook up some treats! You can stay up-to-date with my latest culinary adventures by subscribing to my newsletter. No scam, no spam, just the clink of my pots and pans!

I will love you to follow me on:

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• YouTube

Why MSK Irish Soda Bread recipe:

Make this recipe as 

• Easy
• Delicious
• Need no planning
• Uses basic ingredients

Let's get started making an Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

These are the ingredients you will need. For quantities please check the recipe card.

• Wholewheat flour
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Butter, chilled
• Egg
• Buttermilk
• Salt 
• Oats

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 215C
• Whisk the egg and buttermilk. Set aside ¼ of the liquid.
• In a big bowl mix the whole wheat flour and the all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda.
• Add the chilled butter and rub in the flour till the flour resembles breadcrumbs.
• Make a well in the of the flour and add the ¾ liquid. Mix to get a soft dough that is not sticky. 
  • The reason I kept aside ¼ cup of buttermilk and egg is there are times I pour in the liquid. Some flours require lesser liquid you can always add more but vice versa is difficult.
• Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and make a ball about 8 inches by 8 inches and 1.5 inches thick.
• Place on a well dusted baking tray.
• Score the bread in the form of a cross and make some dimples at the end of each line of the cross.
• Glaze with the leftover buttermilk and egg mixture. 
• Sprinkle the oats, if using on top.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 215C then lower the temperature and bake for 30 minutes at 200C.
• Your bread is ready when it is brown on top and sounds hollow when knocked on.

Substitutes:

• I have used a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. You can use just all-purpose flour.
• The egg is optional. If you wish please avoid it. I think I will avoid it next time. 

Equipment:

• Measuring cups, 
• Whisk
• Large bowl
• Smaller bowl
• Baking pan
• Baking paper 
• Wire rack

How to serve:

• To serve the Irish soda bread, slice it when warm and serve it with butter, and/or jam.
• How about some Soda bread with soup or stew? Tastes great!

How to store:

• Soda bread dries out fast. So store it in an airtight container tightly wrapped. This way you can store the soda bread for about 3-4 days.
•  Freeze it for up to 2-3 months.

Thanks to Emma for the wonderful recipe! Like I said it will be here in my kitchen to stay.

This recipe I am sharing as a part of Sunday Funday.

Check out these recipes for more ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Irish Soda Bread & Leprechaun Traps
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Dingle Pie
• Our Good Life: Irish Nachos
• Palatable Pastime: Bangers and Mash
• Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Irish Scrambled Eggs With Chaffles
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Irish Stout Tea-Infused Truffles
• Food Lust People Love: Ham and Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot)
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Colcannon | Irish Mashed Potatoes with Kale
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Irish Potato Farls
• The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen: Easy Irish Soda Bread

For Your Questions:

Protips:

• Take a large bowl or basin to mix the dough. This prevents over-mixing the dough and keeps the bread soft.
• When adding the baking soda, break the lumps before you measure and level the spoon.
• Excess baking soda makes the bread taste bad. So take care.
• Do not avoid the buttermilk in this recipe. The baking soda and lactic acid in the buttermilk react. This helps the bread to rise and you cannot taste it in the bread. 
• In India, we have easy access to buttermilk but in case you do not add 2 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Mix and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Your buttermilk is ready. 
• Do not be tempted to open the oven door if you want a crust, crisp crust. I know this is the most difficult part. I love to peek at my bakes.

Some bread we love:

Recipe card:

Nutritional Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Please check with your nutritionist for your dietary needs and restrictions. Ultimately you are responsible for your decisions.

Pin for later: