A scrumptious quick bread perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any day. This traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe with raisins and buttermilk is easy to make.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Cooling Time20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Holidays, St. Patrick's Day
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 flour, sugar, baking powder, caraway seed, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Add in the 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
Tips:
Caraway seeds and raisins are traditional ingredients, and part of my family recipe. Other options you can consider include cinnamon, citrus zest, or dried currants.