Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish soda bread made with only four ingredients. The secret is using cake flour for the most authentic tasting Irish soda bread.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine irish

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 235kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

Dutch oven or large covered pot

Ingredients

16 ounces cake flour or pastry flour (9% protein or lower)
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
14 ounces buttermilk or 14 ounces milk plus 2 Tablespoons white vinegar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425ºF
Sift together your flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl
Make a well in the center and then add in half your buttermilk, stir gently to combine
Add in the rest of your buttermilk and continue to gently stir until a sticky dough forms
Place the sticky dough onto a flour-dusted work bench
Fold the dough a few times (2-3) to form a ball but do not over-work it or the bread will be tough.
Use a sharp knife to cut a "cross" in the top of the dough to allow for expanding during baking
Place the dough into your dutch oven and cover. Bake at 425ºF for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of your bread reaches 195ºF-200ºF
Serve your Irish soda bread warm with some butter and jam or along side a hearty stew. This bread will keep for up to two days but is really meant to be eaten on the day it's made.

Video

Notes

Cake or pastry flour is very important in this recipe for a nice tender bread. Look for soft flour or low protein flour in your area with a protien content of 9% or less.

You can substitute buttermilk for regular milk plus 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar added

You can also use powdered buttermilk with water

For the best possible results, read through the blog post and recipe to avoid common mistakes.

Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe.

Metric measurements (grams) are available by clicking the small box under the ingredients in the recipe card labeled “metric”

Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Try to use the same ingredients as the recipe calls for. If you must make a substitution, be aware that the recipe may not come out the same. I try to list substitutions where possible.

Nutrition