Irish Soda Bread

This humble, rustic quick bread couldn’t be easier to make. Just don’t forget to cut an “X” on top of the dough before it goes into the oven. Irish folklore says the cross is to scare away the devil.

Mar 11, 2025

I have a sweet lady to thank for today’s recipe inspiration. When I was in college, one of my roommates would come back to school after a weekend at home with a bag of food, compliments of her mom. From time to time, one of the items we’d pull out of the goody bag was Irish soda bread. This round loaf of homemade bread was slightly sweet and had a crunchy exterior and a soft, chewy interior. It was completely new to me and absolutely delicious.

Traditional Irish soda bread has just four ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. In the States, recipes for this soda bread often call for the addition of eggs, butter, and sugar. It’s also quite common for the dough to be speckled with currants (or raisins) and caraway seeds. This American version is richer, sweeter, and more tender, to the point of being almost scone-like.

Whether you’re making authentic Irish soda bread or an American version, this quick bread relies on leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder rather than yeast. There’s no kneading or waiting for the dough to rise; it’s just mix, bake, and enjoy. Since these leaveners are responsible for lifting the bread, make sure those ingredients haven’t lost their oomph. One way to check for freshness is the expiration date listed on the packaging. Additional freshness tests involve a couple of chemistry experiments. To check the freshness of your baking soda, add a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 teaspoons of vinegar. You’ll know it’s good to use if you see an immediate fizzing reaction. If there’s no bubbling, the baking soda is past its prime and should be replaced. For baking powder, add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to a 1/4 cup of very hot tap water. Once again, immediate fizzing should take place if the baking powder is fresh.

So, Mrs. Koch, thank you for the goody bags all those years ago and for introducing me to Irish soda bread. What a scrumptious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

To your health,

Darlene

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IRISH SODA BREAD

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 slice

Prep: 10 minutes

Ready: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cup cultured low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup neutral oil (such as avocado oil or canola oil)
1 large egg
3/4 cup raisins or currants
Parchment paper
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and caraway seeds.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, and egg. Add liquid mixture and raisins to dry ingredients and stir until moistened, being careful to not overwork the dough. Turn dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and work the dough gently to form it into a round loaf about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Sprinkle top of loaf with turbinado sugar. Cut an “X” about a 1/2-inch deep through the top of the loaf with a serrated knife.
Bake bread until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 35 to 45 minutes. Allow bread to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow bread to continue to cool until ready to slice. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted.

Nutrition Information per Serving

212 Calories, 5.5 g Total fat, 0.5 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 16 mg Cholesterol, 167 mg Sodium, 37 g Total carbohydrate, 3 g Dietary fiber, 13 g Total sugars, 5 g Added sugars, 5 g Protein, 0.4 mcg (2%) Vitamin D, 40 mg (4%) Calcium, 1.4 mg (8%) Iron, 80 mg (2%) Potassium