Easy Irish Soda Bread
A quick no-yeast loaf with a crisp crust and tender buttermilk crumb.
- Measurements grams + cups
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- No yeast and no rising — from cupboard to table in an hour.
- Four core ingredients, and the loaf is mixed with a fork.
- Reliable in a way yeast bread is not, because there is nothing to prove.
A quick no-yeast loaf with a crisp crust and tender buttermilk crumb.
Recipe
Easy Irish Soda Bread
A quick no-yeast loaf with a crisp crust and tender buttermilk crumb.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Line a baking sheet or lightly grease a cast-iron skillet.
- Step 2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar together.
- Step 3. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk and melted butter if using.
- Step 4. Stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Do not knead heavily.
- Step 5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape into a round loaf.
- Step 6. Place on the prepared pan and cut a deep cross across the top.
- Step 7. Bake 40 to 48 minutes, until browned and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
- Step 8. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Once the buttermilk hits the baking soda, work quickly and get the loaf into the oven for the best rise.
- No yeast means no rising time, which is what makes this the fastest loaf on the site.
- Mix with a fork and stop as soon as it holds together. Kneading soda bread develops gluten and gives a tough, tight loaf.
- Cut the cross deep — about 2 cm. It is not decoration; it lets the centre of a dense loaf cook through.
Easy Irish Soda Bread — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/easy-irish-soda-bread/
Ingredient Notes
- Buttermilk
- The acid is essential, not a flavour choice. It reacts with the baking soda to produce the gas that lifts the loaf, since there is no yeast doing that job.
- Baking soda
- Starts working the instant it meets the buttermilk. That is why the dough goes into the oven immediately rather than resting.
Equipment
- Baking sheet or cast-iron skillet
- Sharp knife
Substitutions
- Buttermilk
- Stir 15 mL of lemon juice or vinegar into 375 mL of milk and leave 5 minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with milk also works.
- Add-ins
- 100 g of raisins or sultanas and 20 g of sugar make a sweeter tea-time version.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Best on the day it is baked. Wrap for a second day and toast the slices.
Freezing: Freeze whole or sliced for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does soda bread need buttermilk?
The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to create carbon dioxide, and that gas is the only thing lifting the loaf. Plain milk will not react and the bread stays flat and dense.
Can I make soda bread without buttermilk?
Yes. Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into 375 mL of milk and let it stand five minutes. It is not identical but the chemistry works.
Why is my soda bread tough?
Overworking it. The dough should be mixed with a fork just until it holds, then shaped with a light hand. Kneading it like a yeast bread makes it tight and heavy.
Why do you cut a cross in soda bread?
It lets heat into the middle of what is a dense, quick-baking loaf. Tradition aside, an uncut loaf often ends up doughy in the centre.
How do I know when it is baked?
Deeply browned and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath. It takes 40 to 48 minutes, and colour alone is not reliable.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
