The Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe

(Above: Watch how traditional Irish Soda Bread is made.)

This is an authentic Irish Soda Bread recipe from the Emerald Island.

ingredients for irish soda bread — What makes this Irish Soda Bread a little different is a blend of regular unbleached flour and whole wheat flour.

This recipe comes from the March 1994 edition of Gourmet Magazine. It is not on the magazine’s website (Epicurious.com) so I’m happy I saved most every issue dating back to the mid-80s.

Butter chopped up — You have to chop up the butter into small pieces and then run those pieces through your hands with the flour mixture to get a mealy consistency.

In that issue, the author, Jeanne Lemlin, wrote that she spoke with Irish housewives and professional chefs along Ireland’s southwestern coast to find several recipes, including this one, my favorite.

Uncooked Irish soda bread — Covering the uncooked bread with buttermilk before baking gives it a dark golden color and a tasty crust.

I like it because it produces a moist bread with a deep roasted flavor that is both sweet, and a little savory.

A loaf of Irish Soda Bread. — This bread was cooked on a floured baking sheet. If you want one that is a little higher cook it in a buttered 8-inch baking dish.

It’s quick and easy to make and great to eat most anytime: at breakfast, dinner or with paper-thin slices of unsalted butter and tea in the late afternoon.

Authentic Irish Soda Bread

March 6, 2019

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 1 hr

Total: 1 hr 20 min

Difficulty: Easy

Print This

This recipe comes from the southwestern shore of Ireland.

By: Mark Micheli

Ingredients

All-purpose, unbleached flour (2 cups) (Note: I sifted it first, although the recipe does not call for that.)
1 cup whole-wheat flour (1 cup) (See note above.)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Baking soda (2 tsp.)
Salt (1 tsp.)
Unsalted cold butter, cut into bits (1/2 stick or 1/4 cup)
Raisins (1 cup)
Caraway seeds (2 tsp.)
Buttermilk (1 1/2 cups, plus a little more to brush the bread before baking.)

Directions

Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2 In a large bowl whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3 Add butter and toss to coat with flour. With fingertips rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Step 4 Add raisins and caraway seeds and toss until coated.
Step 5 Add buttermilk and stir until dough is moistened evenly (do not overwork dough).
Step 6 On a floured surface knead dough 1 minute, sprinkling lightly with additional flour to prevent sticking.
Step 7 Shape dough into a ball and put into a buttered baking dish (1 1/2 quart round or 8 inches in diameter) or just put it on a floured (but not greased) baking sheet.
Step 8 With a sharp knife cut a shallow X in top of the loaf and brush the loaf with buttermilk.
Step 9 Bake in the middle of the oven for 55 or 60 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 10 Turn bread onto a rack and cook completely before slicing.