Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Traditional Irish Soda Bread is a simple homemade bread made with just a handful of pantry ingredients. This version is lightly sweetened with raisins, has a soft, tender crumb, and a beautifully crisp crust.
Since it uses baking soda instead of yeast, there’s no waiting for the dough to rise, making it perfect when you want fresh bread on the table in under an hour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No yeast required.
- Ready in less than one hour.
- Soft inside with a crisp golden crust.
- Easy enough for beginner bakers.
- Delicious served warm with butter or homemade jam.
Fresh from the oven, this bread is delicious with butter or a generous spoonful of Strawberry Jam or Mixed Berry Jam.
Ingredient Notes
Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to help the bread rise while creating its soft texture and slightly tangy flavor. The raisins add just enough sweetness without overpowering the bread.
While Testing This Recipe…
These little tips helped me get the best results:
- Resist the urge to knead the dough. A few gentle turns are all it needs.
- If the dough feels sticky, lightly flour your hands instead of adding too much extra flour.
- Don’t judge the bread by its color alone. Some ovens produce a lighter crust, so always test with a skewer.
- Irish soda bread is at its best while still warm from the oven.
Storage
Store the bread in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature. If you’d like to keep it longer, slice and freeze it for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Irish soda bread without raisins?
Yes. Simply omit the raisins for a more traditional savory-style loaf.
Why doesn’t this bread use yeast?
Irish soda bread relies on the reaction between baking soda and buttermilk instead of yeast, which means there’s no rising time.
Can I use regular milk?
Buttermilk gives the bread its characteristic texture and flavor, so it’s the best choice whenever possible.
If you enjoy homemade breads, be sure to try my Orange Sour Cream Loaf Cake, Blackberry Bread Pudding, and other easy baking recipes.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Stir in the raisins.
- Gradually pour in the buttermilk and mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Lightly flour your hands and gently shape the dough into a round loaf. Avoid kneading more than necessary.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten it to about 2½ inches thick.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, score a deep X across the top.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with butter or your favorite homemade jam.
Notes
- Resist the urge to knead the dough. A few gentle turns are all it needs.
- If the dough feels sticky, lightly flour your hands instead of adding too much extra flour.
- Don’t judge the bread by its color alone. Some ovens produce a lighter crust, so always test with a skewer.
- Irish soda bread is at its best while still warm from the oven.
Nutrition
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🍽 Perfect with Breakfast or Afternoon Tea
Serve this freshly baked bread with homemade spreads and a warm drink for a comforting treat.
Your irish soda bread looks great! And thanks for the advice to make sure we don’t overdo it. I’ll be trying this soon.
One of my favourite quick bread, Muna. Yours turned out really great.
This bread looks so good. I just want to break MA chunk off and slather it in butter.
Oh my gosh, I so want to dive into that bread. It looks so moist and delicious. I love the addition of raisins!
Thanks Chris, I feel so good when YOU like my bakings 🙂
This looks like a delicious recipe to try to make. I want to eat it right up!
This looks super yummy, I have never had Irish Soda Bread which is funny since I have strong Irish blood. Going to try to make this!
Hi Brandy, let me know how you liked it 🙂
This looks delicious! A woman I work with brings this in every once in a while, I would love to try to make this myself.
It is so easy to make and I’m sure you’ll love it!
My mouth is watering…literally watering. I have never heard of this bread, but am a huge fan of any type of bread. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Shauna you are so sweet!
Looks good. I have never made anything like this. I’m going to need to give it a try.
Hope you like it 🙂
One of my favorite breads. Beautifully done as always, and the recipe is perfect!!! YUMM!
I love soda bread and I’m planing to make different version of it in the near future 🙂