Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require any yeast. Instead, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk. This Irish soda bread recipe is my grandmother’s and has been cherished in my family for years. It’s dense, yet soft and has the most incredible crusty exterior. Buttermilk and cold butter are the secret to its delicious success!
Welcome to my favorite Irish Soda Bread recipe. I shared this no yeast bread recipe on my blog a few years ago and decided to revisit with fresh new pictures and a video tutorial. This recipe is my grandmother’s. She passed away in 2011, 2 weeks before I started this food blog. I dedicated my 1st cookbook to her. Full of energy and the creator of the best homemade pie crust on earth, she would be in her 90s today. St. Patrick’s Day is her birthday.
Irish Soda Bread is a Quick Bread
Does the thought of homemade bread send you running for the hills? Sometimes homemade bread feels daunting, but you’re in luck today. Irish soda bread is a quick bread made with baking soda, not yeast. Like my easy no yeast bread, this is a shortcut bread that doesn’t skimp on flavor. (If you want a yeast bread, I recommend my sandwich bread recipe!)
- What’s the texture like? The best Irish soda bread, like this recipe, has a golden brown crust with a dense, tight crumb. The bread isn’t heavy, it’s actually quite tender and soft inside. The crust is nice and crisp when it comes out of the oven and becomes a little chewy on day 2 and 3. It’s so good.
My grandmother’s Irish soda bread contains some sugar, but it’s not overly sweet. It’s a wonderful companion for savory dinners like hearty stew or you can serve it with butter, honey butter, jam, and/or cheese. The raisins are optional, but Grandma would never let you skip them.
Video Tutorial: Homemade Irish Soda Bread
Overview: How to Make Irish Soda Bread
The full printable recipe is below. Irish soda bread dough comes together in about 10 minutes. You need buttermilk, egg, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and butter.
- Whisk buttermilk and 1 egg together. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.
- Cut cold butter into the flour mixture. Like scones and pie crust, cutting cold butter into the flour is a key step. Coating the flour in cold butter guarantees a lovely flaky texture. You can use a fork, your hands, or a pastry cutter. Add the wet ingredients.
- Bring the dough together with your hands. Using a very sharp knife, score the dough. This allows the center to bake.
- Bake until golden brown.
Buttermilk is the Secret
Irish soda bread only requires a few ingredients, including buttermilk. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to provide the bread’s leavening. It also adds wonderful flavor! We use buttermilk for the same reasons in my regular no yeast bread, too. If you’re interested, I have plenty more on this topic in my Baking with Buttermilk post (including a DIY buttermilk substitute recipe).
Feel free to Skip the Egg
Irish soda bread can be made with or without an egg. 1 egg adds richness and density. Feel free to skip it to make a slightly lighter loaf. No other changes necessary, simply leave out the egg.
3 Success Tips
- Don’t over-work the dough. It’s supposed to look a little shaggy.
- Score the top of the dough with an “X” before baking. This helps the center bake through.
- You can bake Irish soda bread on a baking sheet, in a baking pan, or in a cast iron skillet. I recommend a cast iron skillet because it helps guarantee a super crispy crust. Here’s how to keep your cast iron cookware seasoned.
If you’re baking for St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll love my Guinness Brownies, Baileys and Coffee Cupcakes, Guinness Chocolate Cake, Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes, Lucky Charms Treats, and shamrock St. Patrick’s Day Cookies, too.
Print
Grandma’s Irish Soda Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Description
Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require any yeast. Instead, all of its leavening comes from baking soda and buttermilk. This Irish Soda Bread recipe is my grandmother’s and has been cherished in my family for years. It’s dense, yet soft and has the most incredible crusty exterior.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk*
- 1 large egg (optional, see note)
- 4 and 1/4 cups (531g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for your hands and counter
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed*
- optional: 1 cup (150g) raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven & pan options: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). There are options for the baking pan. Use a regular baking sheet and line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (bread spreads a bit more on a baking sheet), or use a seasoned 10-12 inch cast iron skillet (no need to preheat the cast iron unless you want to), or grease a 9-10 inch cake pan or pie dish. You can also use a 5 quart (or higher) dutch oven. Grease or line with parchment paper. If using a dutch oven, bake the bread with the lid off.
- Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers. Mixture is very heavy on the flour, but do your best to cut in the butter until the butter is pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins. Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough it is too stiff to stir. Pour crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can, then knead for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan. Using a very sharp knife or bread lame, score the dough with a slash or X about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.)
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45-55 minutes. Loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
- Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted with desired toppings/spreads.
- Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. We usually wrap it tightly in aluminum foil for storing.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled bread freezes well up to 3 months. Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Cast Iron Skillet, 9-inch Round Cake Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, Dutch Oven, or Baking Sheet with Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Bread Lame | Instant-Read Thermometer
- Baking Pan: There are options for the baking pan (see Special Tools Note above). You can use a lined large baking sheet (with or without a rim), a seasoned 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, or a greased or lined 9-10 inch cake pan or pie dish. I don’t recommend a loaf pan because the loaf may not bake evenly inside. This dough is best as a flatter loaf.
- Buttermilk: Using cold buttermilk is best. Buttermilk is key to the bread’s flavor, texture, and rise. The bread will not rise without it. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute. Whole milk or 2% milk is best, though lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch. Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough cold milk to make 1 and 3/4 cups. Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
- Egg: 1 egg adds richness and density. Feel free to skip it to make a slightly lighter loaf. No other changes necessary, simply leave out the egg.
- Cold Butter: The colder the butter, the less sticky the dough will be. Make sure it’s very cold, even frozen cubed butter is great.
- Smaller Loaves: You can divide this dough up to make smaller loaves. The bake time will be shorter, depending how large the loaves are. An instant read thermometer will be especially helpful. Bake the loaves until an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have never had a failure with your recipes — nor Ina’s! You’re in an elite league!
First time baker. I learn by doing. Used skim milk/vinegar and reconstituted cranberries. Learned: Pre heat baking sheet but not the parchment paper! Put the dough ball on the paper and transfer to the pre heated sheet. When gently folding don’t use hands. Got a great rise. Tented after about 30-35 minutes. Bread is cooling now and can’t wait to try it! Looks so good.
I made homemade bean & ham soup so decided to made some bread with it. This turned out excellent! It got so big & looked beautiful. The taste is amazing. I added a little more butter -1 T & used a stevia / Sugar substitute & added a little cinnamon. It was quite sticky so I added more flour. I baked a round loaf on a cookie sheet. The outside was nice & crusty but soft & delicious inside. I love raisins so of course I added those. Could hardly wait to try it but waited as long as I could -just a little warm. Anyways It is a great recipe & extremely happy about the way it turned out! If I could download a photo I would ha ha.
Wow this is a great recipe- I measured my ingredients where grams were given and omitted the egg- I divided the dough into 4 small loaves and baked on a baking sheet with parchment- the dough was so wet I had difficulty scoring the loaves but they came out beautifully in 30″. This bread is amazingly delicious and so so easy. So glad I found this recipe- thanks
I used the cast iron pan for baking. I wish I realized that after removing the bread it would continue to cook. The bottom was like a brick. I will try again on a sheet pan.
my bread didnt cook well inside. outside was done fine but not inside.
MAYBE I DIDNT KNEAD ENOUGH OR TOO MUCH …. HELP
Hi Mary Alice, how was the texture of the dough? Did it seem too wet? This is a sticky dough, but there are a lot of variables that go into the consistency – there’s nothing wrong with adding just a little more flour to bring the dough into a less sticky and knead-able consistency. It’s also possible the bread was underbaked and a few extra minutes in the oven can help. Thank you for giving this one a try!
Can I use homemade butter milk ( milk + vinegar)!for this recipe?
You bet! See recipe Notes for details.
Hi, Is it possible to freeze the soda bread dough and if so how long for?
Regards, Michael
Hi Michael, we do not recommend freezing the dough, but baked and cooled bread freezes well up to 3 months. Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
Followed your instructions and quantities exactly but bread dough was like batter, needed approx extra 100g flour, where did I go wrong?
Hi Julie! The dough is supposed to be pretty sticky, but if it seems stickier than what you see in the photos and video tutorial, feel free to add a bit more flour — try an additional tablespoon at a time until it starts to come together. Flouring your hands helps also.
Can you make this in a Dutch oven?
Hi Cat, Absolutely! We recommend following the baking instructions for our no-knead cranberry nut bread.
I made mine in a 5.5qt Dutch oven with the lid off. I preheated mine along with the oven.
Sorry this is nothing like Irish Soda Bread, you’re using the wrong flower for a start, Wholemeal flour is essential, just a small amount of white flour is required. Never have I seen an egg added to the mix, nor sugar…NEVER. That’s why your bread it totally the wrong colour.
375g strong stoneground wholemeal flour
75g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level dessertspoon fine salt
1 x 284ml carton buttermilk
75ml water
I wanted to make a bread to go with an Indian minced curry I was making, and I didn’t want yeast. I swapped out buttermilk for yoghurt, and used white spelt flour. I also used ghee instead of butter since I ran out! The top was SO crusty I couldn’t stop eating it. Slather with salted butter, and it’s delicious!
For a more savoury dish omit the raisins! Next time I’m going to try this with whole spelt, and mix in some seeds!
Hi can I switch the raisins for chocolate chips? Should I still use 1 cup if so? Thank you so much!!
Yes, absolutely! Same amount.
Our whole family loves this recipe for soda bread. Perfect to slice and have with a hearty schmear of cold butter! So easy to make!
We made this bread in our cooking class. It is so good. Add dried currants instead of raisins & 1 tsp orange zest! Serve w real butter. It goes well with Shepherds Pie!
Hello! This recipe is delicious – my dough came out extremely sticky though. I added extra flour when attempting to shape it and had so much difficulty lifting it from my floured work surface due to how sticky it was! Any tips on how to prevent this? My butter was very cold, not sure where I went wrong.
Hi Ella! This is a sticky dough, but there are a lot of variables that go into the consistency – there’s nothing wrong with adding just a little more flour to bring the dough into a less sticky and knead-able consistency.
Made this yesterday. It’s so good! My first attempt at baking any kind of bread. I’m addicted.
I made this with Crasins and chopped walnuts; it vanished before my eyes! My family loved it and I’m going to give it to neighbors for Christmas.
I sub craisins for raisins also. I soak the craisins in orange juice, and add the zest of an orange to the batter. A family fav!
Can I substitute the raisins 1:1 with roasted almonds? Likewise, can I sprinkle the almonds on top before baking or will that affect the recipe?
Hi Lisa, that should work just fine!
I have to use less flour or more buttermilk, otherwise it’s too dry and won’t hold together for baking. Next time I will use 4 cups of flour instead of 4 1/4 as directed. Is the 1/4 cup for the board when forming the loaf?
Hi June! The stated amount goes into the dough. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
We discovered this recipe less than 2 months ago, but we enjoyed the wonderful bred so much that it became our regular indulgence. At lest ones a week we’ve been baking it and experimenting with different kinds of fillings: banana, nuts, cranberries, Thank you, Sally to you for sharing this amazing recipe with us.
I had to find something to bake as an emergency for our Airbnb visitor and made your soda bread. It came out supper, very impressed. Hope it tast good as I had to give it to our visitor ( not easy!)
The Real Deal.
I am from Northern Ireland. My Grandmother is now in a Care home. I have always wanted to ask her how she went about making her (what we just knew as) ‘Scone Bread’.
This is it!!! On the button. Thank you soooo much for this Sally ❤️
Funny how I got my Irish Grandma’s Scone Bread Recipe in this manner.
P.s. I made it on a skillet, as I remembered that much. Perfect
My parents decided that we were going to have corned beef for Thanksgiving, I decided to try making Irish Soda Bread instead of dinner rolls. It was a huge hit. I swapped out the raisins for craisins to make it a little festive and I will probably do it that way again.
A few days ago I bought some Irish style scones in a grocery store. My family loved them very much. And I decided to find a recipe and try to bake them myself. I immediately liked your recipe for its simplicity and accuracy! Even the internal temperature is listed in this recipe!
I got great scones! I baked them at 400 degrees for 33 minutes. Thank you very much for your recipe!
A few days ago I bought some Irish style scones in a grocery store. My family loved them very much. And I decided to find a recipe and try to bake them myself. I immediately liked your recipe for its simplicity and accuracy! Even the internal temperature is listed in this recipe!
I got great scones! I baked them at 400 degrees for 33 minutes. Thank you very much for your recipe!
If I split the dough in half to make two loaves instead of one, can I cook them together on the oven?
Absolutely. The bake time shoudl be the same, or a few minutes shorter.
I have already made this recipe 6 times in a few weeks lol everybody wants one lol we LOVE it!! I do add a tablespoon of caraway seeds. Its wonderful! better than any bakery or grocery store I’ve bought from. Thank you for sharing it.
I made this a few weeks ago and I just put it in the oven tonight to go with beef and barley soup. I love the addition of the raisins. Tonight, I decided to add in some cinnamon.
Funny because that’s exactly what I was making tonight (beef and barley soup) when I looked for this recipe. It came out of the oven looking so beautiful and is so delicious. I didn’t have any problems with the consistency using the measurements given and just a little flour on the board. This will undoubtedly become a favorite in this house, and I’m looking forward to adding ingredients suggested in these comments and perhaps others. Excellent!
Seriously, this recipe is SO GOOD. My roommates and I ate this up! I’ll be coming back to this one.
I make Irish soda bread every St. Patricks day but today I had a craving. I tried this recipe for a change and I love it. I used the skillet method an it turned out amazing! I was nervous because the dough seemed wet and it looked somewhat flat in the skillet but it baked perfectly. The texture is a bit softer than my usual recipe (in a good way)! So i’ll continue to bake my old soda bread on March 17th and I’ll make this recipe any time I want!!