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Irish Soda Bread slices with butter
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4.50 from 2 votes

Simply Incredible Irish Soda Bread

This Simply Incredible Irish Soda Bread recipe is quick, foolproof, and made with real buttermilk and sweet raisins. It bakes up soft and tender inside with a beautifully rustic crust. Ready in under an hour, it’s perfect with corned beef, Irish stew, or simply warm with butter.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Quick Bread
Cuisine: Ireland
Servings: 10 large slices
Calories: 240kcal
Author: Good Dinner Mom

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350F degrees. Place parchment on a baking sheet, or lightly grease and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, place in the order listed, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt . Add the raisins and give everything a quick whisk.
    3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp Baking Powder, ½ tsp Baking Soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ cups raisins
  • Add buttermilk and on low speed, mix until it forms a soft dough, about 30 seconds. You can do this by hand if you like. There will/may be some dry ingredients and possibly a few raisins that just won't mix in. That is fine.
    1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until it's a smooth ball, only another 20-30 seconds.
  • Place the ball of dough onto the baking sheet and press to spread and flatten the dough. Slash the top with a sharp knife. Pat the top with some of the excess flour. This will give the bread a nice rustic finish.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, until bread is just golden.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
  • Serve with softened butter.

Notes

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Use real buttermilk. It gives the bread its classic tang and tender crumb. I haven’t tested substitutes here.
• Don’t overmix or over-knead. Stir just until a soft dough forms. A slightly rough texture is exactly what you want.
• Expect a rustic dough. It won’t be smooth like sandwich bread — that’s part of its charm.
• Slash the top before baking. This helps the loaf expand evenly and gives it that traditional Irish soda bread look.
• Let it cool before slicing. About 15 minutes allows the crumb to set so it doesn’t crumble.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2.4mg