This weekend I decided to make an Irish feast to practice for St. Patrick’s Day.
But I have to admit — even though I have some Irish in my family, and had a blast traveling there a few years ago to visit my sister when she studied abroad in Dublin, I have only only spent a wee bit o’ time trying out Irish recipes! So for my feast, I decided to defer to some of my friends’ recipes that fall in the more “tried and true” category.
The first recipe for traditional Irish soda bread is from my friend Christin. She and her family have been making it for decades, and she swears this recipe is the best. And more importantly, that this recipe is foolproof (which is good for this girl who only succeeds about half the time with baking homemade breads)!
Sure enough, the dough was super easy to make, and the bread baked up beautifully! Granted, I probably should have cut the “X” a little deeper to make the shape pucker up perfectly. But overall, I was quite pleased, and it tasted delicious!!! It was moist, sweet, and I loved the extra pop of raisins. And as Christin said, it’s “the best when served warm with good butter”. Definitely agreed.
Stay tuned for more fun Irish recipes to follow for your own St. Patrick’s Day feast!
Irish Soda Bread
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
You will love this fresh Irish Soda Bread recipe. It’s fresh, delicious, and easy to prepare!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup raisins or dried currants
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small cookie sheet.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a fork (or with your fingers) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins and buttermilk until the dough is evenly moistened.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Shape into a 6-inch ball, place on a cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, cut a 1/4-inch deep cross on top of the dough.
- Bake 30-40 minutes, or until dough is just cooked through and the top is a light golden brown.
Notes
To save a step, you can also begin making the dough in a food processor. Just be sure to stir in the raisins and buttermilk by hand.
Recipe from my friend, Christin.
Just made this – SO easy and SO good!!!!
This recipe was easy and delicious but my bread turned out a little crumbly more like a scone. I noticed other recipes for soda bread add an egg to the mix which may give it a more bread-like texture.
Happy St.Patty’s Day
I made this recipe this morning and brought it to my son and daughter-in- law for their brisket dinner.
They loved it and said this recipe is a keeper.My first time baking Irish soda bread.Thank you so much and I enjoy you’re blog.P.S.My son and his wife just had twin daughters we’re going to pass this recipe on.
Sherri
I made this last year, the 1st one I made i melted butter, the second i just softened it as you stated, what a difference..but both were very tasty, making it this year, hope it turns out just as good or better. I’m not one for baking or cooking lol..but this was soooo easy. Thank u for sharing!
I love the look of this Irish Soda Bread & plan to make for a party I’ll be attending “in honor of St Patrick”!
Thanks much for this recipe. My mom passed away in 2015 and of course when we were growing up she made soda bread all time. This reminds me much of her.
You’re very welcome, Colleen — we’re so glad to know you like this recipe and that it gives you good memories of your mom!
Made two versions of this bread this weekend–one with raisins and one without–for a St. Patty’s party (30 people) and both were a hit! I made them the evening before and stored left them on the kitchen table overnight, both wrapped in plastic wrap. In the morning, I put them in a 300-degree oven until they were warm again.
I highly recommend this–a very easy and delicious recipe.
Awesome, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is the Irish soda bread I grew up with. My mom was born and raised in Ireland.
That’s wonderful to hear Jaynee! :)
Love this recipe! I’ve made it two years in a row for St. Paddy’s Day and my husband and I both love it! About 10 minutes before it’s done, I brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle it with turbinado sugar. Delicious! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing Vicki — we’re so glad you and your husband are fans! :)
I love this bread!! Super easy and so yummy. I have been making this for over a year now and its perfect each time. This year, I am vegan, so used earth balance and made buttermilk, using almond milk and vinegar. It is still perfect. Thank you so much for such a great recipe!
Awesome — I love that you used almond milk. Glad you enjoyed it!