• Home
  • About me
  • WORK WITH ME
  • Recipes
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Supergolden Bakes

Sweet, savoury and everything in between

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About me
  • WORK WITH ME
  • Recipes
  • PRIVACY POLICY
×

Easy Irish Soda Bread

March 6, 2021 by Lucy Parissi 4 Comments

3293 shares
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Easy Irish Soda Bread with raisins and all purpose flour. This amazingly tasty quick bread recipe takes minutes to throw together – no yeast and no proving! Delicious served toasted for breakfast, dunked into soup or as a snack.

This recipe can be baked as a traditional Irish Soda Bread, a Vegan Soda Bread or a Gluten-Free variation of either! Bake a batch this Saint Patrick’s Day.

Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check my disclosure

Irish soda bread with raisins on a rustic wooden board

Soda bread is the world’s easiest and tastiest quick bread! Traditional Irish soda bread is made with all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. It has a rustic exterior with a thick crust and dense yet tender crumb.

The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk to give the bread its rise – there’s no yeast involved or much kneading.

This is good news for novice bakers or if you need bread in a hurry as it doesn’t require proving. If you ever wondered if you can make bread with plain flour the answer is yes – soda bread. 

The basic recipe has evolved over the years and these days there are countless soda bread variations, each Irish family adding their own personal touch. 

Irish soda bread tastes a little like scones  – subtly sweet with a slight sour tang. It’s best eaten slightly warm slathered with butter, honey or jam but can also be eaten with stews or soup. I love it with my Sweet Potato soup!

SODA BREAD INGREDIENTS

I didn’t set out to make vegan soda bread… but as I was making the recipe I realised I didn’t have buttermilk or any milk (my husband having made one too many lattes that day). Soda bread without buttermilk? You bet!

I used almond milk, lemon juice, all purpose flour, salt, baking soda and vegan block (Stork). I also added raisins and a little sugar because that’s how my Irish-Canadian husband remembers it.

The raisins and sugar are of course entirely optional. But don’t expect the bread to taste sweet even if you add them – it’s got a little sweetness but can still be eaten with hearty stews or soup.

You can use buttermilk (or soured milk) and real butter and replace the sugar with honey if you like – the bread will no longer be vegan, of course.

How to Make Irish Soda Bread

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

STEP 1 Combine your choice of milk and lemon juice in a measuring jug and leave to stand while you get on with the recipe. The milk will likely curdle a little, that’s what we are after – we are making soured milk (you can also use buttermilk of course).

Adding lemon juice to milk to make buttermilk substitute

STEP 2 Add the 3/4 of the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and stir together to aerate the dry ingredients. Hold some of the flour back and only add it if the dough is too sticky to work with. 

Stirring flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder together in a mixing bowl

STEP 3 Rub in the COLD butter / vegan block until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. You can use your hands, a pastry cutter or a knife to do this.

rubbing butter into flour

STEP 4 Pour the soured milk into the bowl and stir so that the flour is moistened. The dough is very sticky so I used my Danish dough hook to stir the ingredients.

Pouring soured milk into flour in a mixing bowl

STEP 5 Add the raisins, if using, and just enough flour so that the bread is not too sticky when mixing with your hands. We want the dough to be on the wet side though.

Raisins and soda bread mix in a bowl

STEP 6 Sprinkle flour on your worktop and flour you hands too. Gently knead the dough, adding more flour gradually if it is still very sticky, until comes together. Don’t overwork the dough – use a very light touch otherwise the bread will tough.

Kneading soda bread dough

STEP 7 Quickly shape the dough into a round loaf and score a deep cross using a sharp knife. This helps the bread rise and also “let’s the fairies out” according to Irish lore.

Shaping and scoring cross on Irish soda bread photo collage

STEP 8 Place the loaf on a skillet or baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, until the bread is well risen with a golden crust. The bread should sound hollow if you tap the underside. Leave the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing or simply splitting and tucking in! 

Slicing traditional Irish soda bread with raisins

TIPS FOR BEST EVER SODA BREAD!

  • Don’t get hung up on the amount of flour specified in the recipe. Different types of flour have various rates of absorbency and humidity can also play a factor. It’s best to work with a wet sticky dough and only add as much flour as needed.
  • Light touch is the secret behind making the BEST Irish Soda Bread or an inedible hard brick. Handle the dough as little as possible – same as you would when baking scones or making muffins. 
  • Make sure your baking soda is FRESH. The reaction between the soda and acidity in the soured milk or buttermilk forms tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide in the dough which makes the bread rise. Since the reaction happens as soon as the wet ingredients are mixed in, aim to get your soda bread into the oven quickly.
  • Use cold milk and vegan block / unsalted butter. You can even cube and freeze this for 30 minutes if you like, especially if it’s a really warm day.
Vegan soda bread with raisins, sliced, on a wooden cutting board

SODA BREAD VARIATIONS

  • Caraway seeds would be a fabulous addition in this slightly sweet raisin soda bread. Try adding other seeds or spices to mix things up.
  • You can use a mix of all purpose flour and wholemeal flour if you like. Bread flour is not ideal as it can make your soda bread the bread a bit a tough.
  • Hate raisins? Leave them out or replace them with dried cranberries, chopped dates or mixed citrus peel. 
  • Make gluten-free Irish soda bread: use your favourite GF flour and one teaspoon of Xanthan Gum (leave out if the flour is already enriched with it) in addition to the remaining ingredients.
  • Make soda bread rolls: divide the dough into 8-9 small rolls, score and space apart on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, depending on size. Eat immediately!
soda bread rolls with seeds

HOW LONG DOES SODA BREAD KEEP?

Soda bread goes stale more quickly than yeasted bread. Wrap the bread in a clean linen towel or place in a bread bag and eat within a three days. I usually slice the loaf and freeze it then toast it from frozen.

This is such a great emergency bread – quick to throw together so you can bake it every few days or as needed. 

MORE EASY BREAD RECIPES

  • Are you a beginner? Try my super easy two hour No-Knead Bread.
  • Bake my cheesy Slow Cooker Bread – another no yeast soda bread variation.
  • Want to try your hand at sourdough? My Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe is a reader fave with lots of five star reviews.
  • Sourdough Focaccia is another incredibly easy recipe – no shaping required!

HAVE YOU MADE MY SODA BREAD RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!

Easy Irish Soda Bread

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes
Easy Irish Soda Bread – quick and easy bread recipe without yeast. Make it the traditional way or try my tasty Vegan soda bread variation.
5 from 4 votes
Print Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: Irish Soda Bread, Vegan Soda Bread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 233kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (360ml) whole milk (or almond milk)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
  • 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour or as needed
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp (70g) cold unsalted butter (or vegan block)
  • ¾ cup (120g) raisins or other dried fruit, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Combine your choice milk and lemon juice in a measuring jug and leave to stand while you get on with the recipe. The milk will likely curdle a little, that’s totally what we are after!
  • Add the 3/4 of the flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a mixing bowl and stir together to aerate the dry ingredients. Hold some of the flour back and add it gradually if the dough is too sticky to work with.
  • Rub in cold butter or vegan block, until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
  • Add the soured milk and stir so that flour is moistened. The dough will be shaggy and very sticky.
  • Add the raisins, if using, and gradually add enough flour until that the bread is not too sticky when mixing with your hands. We want the dough to be on the wet side though.
  • Sprinkle flour on your worktop and flour your hands. Gently knead the dough, adding more flour if it is still very sticky. Don’t overwork it – use a very light touch otherwise the bread will tough.
  • Quickly shape the dough into a round loaf and score a deep cross using a sharp knife. This helps the bread rise and also “let’s the fairies out” according to Irish lore.
  • Place the loaf on a skillet or baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, until the bread is well risen with a golden crust. The bread should sound hollow if you tap the underside.
  • Leave the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing or simply splitting and tucking in!

Video

Notes

  • Spice it up: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or mixed spice. Caraway seeds would be a fabulous addition in this slightly sweet raisin soda bread. 
  • Get creative with the flours! You can use a mix of all purpose flour and wholemeal flour if you like. Bread flour is not ideal as it can make the bread a bit tough.
  • Hate raisins? Leave them out or replace them with dried cranberries, chopped dates or mixed citrus peel. 
  • Make gluten-free Irish soda bread: use your favourite GF flour and one teaspoon of Xanthan Gum (leave out if the flour is already enriched with it) in addition to the remaining ingredients.

Nutritional Info

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 371mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @supergolden88 or tag #supergoldenbakes!
« Slow Cooker Hunters Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Shrimp Linguine »
Subscribe to get the all the latest tasty goodness delivered to your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription.

Comments

  1. CT says

    March 17, 2022 at 12:47 am

    5 stars
    great recipe loved it

    Reply
  2. krisato says

    March 12, 2022 at 4:07 pm

    This recipe is great. I substituted car berries for raisins and it worked great.

    The steps of the recipe doesn’t tell you when to put the baking soda in. It is self explanatory but still might want to update the text to include it.

    Reply
  3. Suzanne McElligott says

    March 16, 2021 at 3:03 pm

    Hi Lucy: I like that you don t need yeast and the demonstration is very helpful > I wrote down the recipe shall be doing 2morrow for St Patrick s day. I also subscribe to get your latest tasty recipes.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      March 16, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      Lovely to hear Suzanne let me know how you like this recipe (ps I just posted a Baileys Cheesecake!)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




HEY, NICE TO MEET YOU!

Picture of Lucy ParissiHi, I am Lucy Parissi, the recipe developer, food  photographer and author behind Supergolden Bakes. If you are looking for easy sweet and savoury recipes that are packed with flavour you have come to the right place!  READ MORE

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Bluberry Muffins
air fryer corned beef brisket
Air Fryer Gammon with redcurrant glaze on a plater with slice cut
Slices of air fryer banana bread, stacked, on a patterned plate
Air Fryer Brownies, stacked
Individual toad in the hole cooked in an air fryer served wutg nash

More Posts from this Category

As Seen In…

Collage of brand logos, including Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, Chowhound, MSN, Elle, and Redbook