Soda Bread

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

A quick, yeast-free Irish loaf with a tender crumb and tangy buttermilk finish. The dough is shaped into a round, marked with a deep cross, and baked until golden and hollow-sounding.

Prep

10 min

Cook

40 min

Total

50 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •450 g (1 lb / 3½ cups) all-purpose flour, plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
• •5 g (1 tsp) baking soda, must be fresh and active; bicarbonate of soda
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
• •350 ml (1¼ cups + 2 tbsp) buttermilk, full-fat, well-shaken; if unavailable, add 1 tbsp lemon juice to 350 ml whole milk and rest 10 min
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes (optional, gives a slightly more tender crumb)

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (conventional) or 180°C / 350°F (fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly flour it.
2. 2 Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. If using butter, rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
3. 3 Make a well in the center. Pour in most of the buttermilk (reserve about 30 ml / 2 tbsp). Using a wooden spoon or your hand, bring the dough together with quick, light strokes - do not knead. Add the reserved buttermilk only if needed; the dough should be soft, slightly shaggy and just hold together, not wet.
4. 4 Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a round ball in about 30 seconds of patting - overworking toughens the bread. Press down gently to flatten into a round about 5 cm / 2 in thick.
5. 5 Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross about 2.5 cm / 1 in deep across the top, dividing the loaf into quarters; this is traditional and helps the heat penetrate the dense dough.
6. 6 Bake on the middle rack for 35–40 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown, the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 96°C / 205°F.
7. 7 Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Soda bread is best eaten the day it is baked, served with butter, jam or alongside soup and cheese.