Irish Soda Bread
Irish Soda Bread is made with 4 simple ingredients and is perfect for Saint Patrick's Day. A crusty outside and tangy inside this recipe is quick and easy.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 500 g, or fluffed, spooned and leveled. Plus 2-4 Tablespoons extra, see instructions and notes
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup raisin optional, but recommended
- 1 ¾ cup buttermilk see notes for how to make homemade
- 4 Tablespoons butter optional, see notes. Cold and cut into small cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a dutch oven pot or baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. (If using butter, cut in pieces using a pastry blender, a fork or your fingers until fully incorporated) Stir in raisins. Pour buttermilk in and mix roughly. Spread a Tablespoon of the extra flour on a work surface, then turn the dough onto the work surface. Sprinkle a little more of the extra flour on top then knead the dough 6-8 times and form it into a ball. Keep it as moist as possible, but add more flour if needed. See pictures above for a texture reference.
- Place it on your parchment lined baking sheet or dutch oven and bake for 40-55 minutes. Throw a handful of ice in when you put the bread in the oven. This will give it a crusty exterior. It will be a deep golden color and will sound hollow when you tap on the bottom of the loaf with a wooden spoon. If you have a meat thermometer, make sure the internal temperature has reached 190° F.
Video
Notes
- To make buttermilk at home, place 1.5 Tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice at the bottom of your measuring cup. Fill the rest of the way to 1 ¾ cups. Whisk to combine then wait at least 5 minutes before using.
- The addition of butter isn't necessary but does make a softer bread. No need to change any other ingredients, just add the butter. I don't usually add it because it only makes a small difference and can be a pain to cut it in.
- The extra flour is for preparing the dough to go into the oven and should only be used if you need a little more flour. How much flour you need can be influenced by a variety of things such as humidity and even the brand of flour.
- You want the dough to be as wet as you can- more moisture means a more tender bread. But it still needs to be manageable, just remember that while forming it into a round loaf.
- If your crust starts getting more brown than you'd like it to be, put the lid on your dutch oven if using, or tent the loaf with aluminum foil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 6gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 356mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 175IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg
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