Description
Traditional Irish Soda Bread is a classic quick bread made with simple pantry ingredients and buttermilk, resulting in a dense, slightly tangy loaf with a crusty exterior. This recipe requires no yeast and uses baking soda as a leavening agent, making for a fast and easy bread to enjoy warm with butter.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (420 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (337 g) buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside to prepare for baking the bread.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, and baking soda thoroughly to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt throughout the flour.
- Add Buttermilk and Combine: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon. Pour the buttermilk into the well, then gently stir the mixture starting from the center and gradually incorporating the flour from the sides. The dough will be shaggy, which is ideal for soda bread.
- Knead the Dough: Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Gently knead the dough about 4 times with your hands until it comes together and the surface becomes slightly smoother but still rustic.
- Shape the Loaf: Using the palms of your hands, shape the dough into a round loaf. Transfer this shaped loaf onto the prepared baking sheet and lightly sprinkle the top with flour.
- Score the Dough: With a sharp chef’s knife, cut a large ‘X’ across the top of the dough. This helps the bread expand and bake evenly.
- Bake at High Temperature: Place the baking sheet with the loaf into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes at 450°F (232°C) to develop crust.
- Lower Temperature and Continue Baking: After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 400°F (204°C), rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees to ensure even baking, and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until the bread is deeply golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, ideally with Kerrygold Salted Butter for a traditional touch.
Notes
- Do not over-knead the dough; soda bread should remain somewhat shaggy to keep its texture.
- Use fresh baking soda to ensure proper rise and texture.
- Buttermilk adds acidity which reacts with baking soda for leavening; do not substitute with regular milk unless you add an acid.
- The ‘X’ cut on top is traditional and helps the heat penetrate and the bread to rise properly.
- For best results, serve soda bread slightly warm with butter or jam.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of loaf)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
