Classic Irish Soda Bread
A beautifully rustic and simple loaf that uses baking soda as its leavening agent instead of yeast, resulting in a dense and tender crumb with a slightly tangy flavor from the buttermilk. This traditional Irish staple comes together in minutes and requires no kneading or proofing time whatsoever.
A quick and easy no-yeast Irish bread with a golden crust and soft tangy crumb ready in under an hour.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Dry
Wet
Instructions
Prepare the Oven and Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius and lightly flour a baking sheet. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and sugar. Rub in the softened butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Bring the Dough Together
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in most of the cold buttermilk. Using your hands, quickly bring the dough together into a rough ball, adding the remaining buttermilk if needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Do not overwork it.
Shape and Score
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it gently into a round about 4 centimeters thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet and use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross across the top, cutting about halfway through the loaf to allow heat to penetrate.
Bake to Perfection
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 25 minutes until the loaf is deep golden brown. Tap the bottom of the loaf and it should sound hollow when done. Cool on a wire rack.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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