Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Warm up your New England kitchen with my easy Irish Soda Bread, one of my favorite family recipes. It's a tender buttermilk and raisin filled soda bread that's nostalgic and comforting. And no kneading required!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 136kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting a work surface)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon caraway seed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
Combine the dry ingredients:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line an 8-inch round baking pan, cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon caraway seed, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Add in the 1 cup raisins and toss to mix them into the flour mixture.
Add buttermilk to make the dough:
- Start with about ¾ cup of buttermilk and stir it into the dry mixture. If the mixture still seems dry and crumbly, add more buttermilk until it comes together into a soft and sticky dough.
- Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. With floured hands, knead just a few times until the stickiness is gone and the dough is smooth.
- Shape the dough into a rounded loaf. Place the loaf into the baking pan, cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or on the baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to slash the top of the dough with a cross shape. And poke a hole into each corner, to let the fairies out.
- If you have any buttermilk left, you can brush some over the top of the bread.
Bake:
- Bake the loaf for 10 minutes. THEN, then reduce the heat to 350° F.
- Continue to bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes more. The finished loaf will be browned and sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Let it cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.
- This bread is the most delicious served on the day it is baked. Spread slices with Irish butter or with jam.
- The cooled bread can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 3-4 additional days.
Notes
- Caraway seeds and raisins are traditional ingredients, and part of my family recipe. You can also omit these and try other mix-ins like cinnamon, citrus zest, or dried currants.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
