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Irish Soda Bread, made from scratch with currants and buttermilk, is crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside.
It is a super easy recipe to make and has a very distinct taste. This subtly sweet bread is a perfect addition to any St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
What is soda bread?
Soda bread is basically a quick bread that uses baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate for all you chemistry fans out there, as a leavening agent instead of yeast.
The ingredients, however, of a traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The buttermilk is key here because it contains lactic acid which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny carbon dioxide bubbles.
Soda bread is enjoyed throughout the world, but various forms of soda bread are also very popular throughout Ireland.
My recipe is what I would call an Irish-American soda bread because of my personal alterations to the recipe, however it tastes just as good, if not better, than the soda bread I get at my favorite Irish pubs.
Why this recipe works:
- Easy to make: Very similar to a biscuit or a short cake, this recipe involves cutting butter into the dry ingredients and then adding liquid until it forms a dough.
- Distinctive taste: The addition of currants and caraway seed give this Irish Soda Bread a distinctive taste. Currants are similar to raisins in that they are both dried grapes, however currants are smaller and have more of an intense, tangy, sweet taste. The caraway seed is listed as an optional ingredient because it really does have a strong, distinct flavor, however it truly defines the flavor of a good soda bread.
Ingredients needed:
Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Dry ingredients: All purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt
- Wet ingredients: butter, buttermilk, egg
- Flavor: Currants and caraway seed (optional)
How to make Irish Soda Bread:
Detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Mix: Mix together all of the dry ingredients. Then, using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a bowl with a pastry cutter, mix in the softened butter so that the all of the dry ingredients get coated. Next, combine buttermilk and egg and add that mixture to the mixing bowl. Toss the currants in some flour so they won’t stick to one another and mix them, along with the caraway seed, into the dough.
- Shape: Line a baking sheet or cast iron skillet with parchment paper and preheat the oven. Shape the dough with your hands and cut an x in the top. Cover the dough with a melted butter and buttermilk mixture and continue to do so during the cooking process to keep the top from getting too brown.
- Bake: Cook soda bread in the preheated oven until golden brown. Then, serve it up warm and enjoy!
Buttermilk substitutions:
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can replace it with plain Greek yogurt or stout beer in this recipe. You can also make your own buttermilk by adding 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice to whole milk and allowing it to sit for about an hour prior to using it.
Whether you use buttermilk, yogurt, or stout, the leavening action starts immediately, so you should use the minimum amount of mixing and get your quick bread into the oven as soon as possible.
Storage:
Ideally, you’ll want to make your soda bread and eat it fresh. It absolutely tastes best when fresh.
If you need to store it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. You can store soda bread at room temperature for a couple of days.
If you need to store it longer than a couple of days, keep it in the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature before serving.
Best St. Patrick’s Day recipes
If you’re making Irish soda bread for a fun St. Patrick’s Day celebration, consider making these other delicious recipes.
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Ingredients
Soda Bread:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon divided
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup currants can increase amount to 1 cup
- 2 teaspoons caraway seed optional
For the top:
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet or cast iron skillet with parchment paper.
- Mix: Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour. Alternatively, the butter can be blended into the flour mixture by hand using a pastry cutter.
- Combine: In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk with egg. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. If mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon or firm spatula to mix. Dough will be very dry.
- Add currants: Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of flour on top of currants. Shake to disperse the flour and evenly coat. Add the currants and caraway seed (if using) to the dough and fold in. Dough will be very dry, so you may need to use your hands. Try not to over mix.
- Shape: Place the loaf on the prepared pan or skillet, shape into a circle, and cut an X that's about a half-inch deep into the top of the bread with a knife.
- Coat soda bread: Combine melted butter and buttermilk and brush about a third of the mixture over the top of bread to coat. If buttermilk is cold, the melted butter might solidify and you will have to gently warm the mixture so that it can be spread.
- Bake: Place soda bread in preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, brushing the buttermilk butter mixture over the top every 15 minutes or so, until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer from baking dish to cooling rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipes:
- Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage – It doesn’t get more Irish than corned beef and cabbage, right? This salty and full flavored meal complete with baby potatoes and carrots would go great with a side of soda bread!
- Irish Cheddar Shepherd’s Pie – I went as Irish as I could with this recipe and used Kerrygold butter and cheddar! A warm piece of soda bread will make you feel like you’re in an Irish pub. Don’t forget to serve it with a tall glass of cold Guinness stout!
Or you can check out all of my other fun St. Patrick’s Day recipes!
This recipe was originally posted in February 2015 and has been updated with more information and cooking tips. Don’t worry – I didn’t change the recipe!
I made this it’s wonderful! Crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside. I did put in two teaspoons of caraway seeds. I love them with the currants. Thanks so much for this recipe.
This recipe still includes the egg, that line was supposed to be taken out? Can you please update recipe, would love to make but want to be sure I have the correct recipe. Thanks
Hi Carrieann, I’m confused. This recipe does include an egg. It is to be combined with the buttermilk. Were you wanting an eggless recipe?
I goggled currant as I did not know what it is. A small dried fruit made from a seedless variety of grape originally grown in the eastern Mediterranean region, now widely produce in California. I to do not like raisins, loved them as a kid, which was ‘years’ ago. LOL
you rock thank you
Made it for the family and we all loved it!
I’d never made soda bread before but figured I’d give it a whirl this year. It was really easy to make and it had excellent flavor and texture. Great recipe!
Making this for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Love this recipe!
I love trying new bread recipes, and this one is on my list to try! 🙂
Um. You stated that banana and zucchini breads are similar to this but they use eggs and soda bread does NOT. Lo and behold, when you get to the recipe, there it is, 1 egg. Can you explain this? I mean, we readers take your word that you know what you write about. This isn’t an ok oversight – it’s a blatant contradiction. Too many times recipes are just wrong as if the publisher never even tried their own recipe! Its disappointing and I’m starting to call foul when I see this. Even Martha Stewart has erroneous info on some of her recipes. Important to be accurate here especially when baking. My two cents. Just saying. Also I live very near Muldoons and they also use Caraway in their bread. IMHO without that distinct flavor – nothing can compare.
Hey there. Yep – I made a mistake. My recipe certainly does have an egg. The recipe is correct and I certainly did make it. The oversight happened when I went back to edit the post to add more information. I must have missed that there was an egg in the recipe when I wrote that sentence. I apologize for the confusion and thank you for pointing it out. I took that whole sentence out. Also agree that caraway has a very distinct flavor but I found that I actually preferred the soda bread without it. Totally personal preference. I hope my mistake doesn’t keep you away from my blog… I definitely make mistakes but I also have tons of really good recipes and always listen to my readers! -Krissy
Can’t wait to try it!
It doesn’t say where to add baking powder. I assume it is with dry ingredients. Is 1 tablespoon for baking powder correct?
Yes! Apologies for the mistake (I’ve corrected) and late reply (I’ve been traveling). -Krissy
This Irish Soda Bread looks amazing! Yum! Visiting from Wednesday Whatsits!
Did you know the reason for making the slashes on the bread. It’s the sign of the cross…..and….you are supposed to poke holes on four sides to let the fairies out! All this for luck on St Patrick’s Day!