Irish soda bread

A tender buttermilk loaf raised with bicarbonate.

One whole cross-topped soda bread loaf cools on a wire rack beside its empty skillet.
Makes
1 round loaf
Heat
205°C
Baking time
45–55 min

Tent if the crust browns early.

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Irish soda bread

Makes
1 round loaf
Heat
205°C
Baking time
45–55 min

Tent if the crust browns early.

Ireland; Irish-American family version · Soda breads

Irish soda bread

A tender buttermilk loaf raised with bicarbonate.

Method

  1. 01 · Prepare

    Before mixing

    Use: Oven; pan

    Preheat; line tray or use seasoned skillet.

    Ready when: Pan ready

    Baker prepares an empty cast iron skillet beside the oven.
    01 PreparePreheat the oven and have the skillet ready before mixing.

  2. 02 · Mix

    Briefly

    Use: Wet; Dry; butter

    Whisk wet separately. Combine dry; rub butter into pea-sized pieces. Fold in wet.

    Ready when: Shaggy dough

    A wooden spoon folds a shaggy soda bread dough in a steel bowl.
    02 MixFold in the wet ingredients briefly to make a shaggy dough.

  3. 03 · Shape

    About 30 sec kneading

    Use: Dough

    Gather on lightly floured surface; knead only to moisten flour. Round; cut a 1.3 cm-deep cross.

    Ready when: Cohesive, not smooth

    Baker cuts a cross into a rough round soda bread dough in a skillet.
    03 ShapeGather into a rough round and cut a cross in the top.

  4. 04 · Bake

    45–55 min

    Use: Loaf

    Bake; tent if browning early.

    Ready when: Centre about 90°C

    A golden soda bread loaf with an opened cross is checked in its skillet at the oven.
    04 BakeBake until the centre is cooked and the crust is golden.

  5. 05 · Cool

    10 min before transfer

    Use: Loaf

    Rest in pan, then rack.

    Ready when: Crust set

    One whole cross-topped soda bread loaf cools on a wire rack beside its empty skillet.
    05 CoolRest briefly in the pan, then let the loaf cool on a rack.

What to look for

StageLook / feel forNeeds attention
MixPea-sized cold butterMelted fat
ShapeMoistened shaggy doughExtended kneading

Troubleshooting

If you see thisLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
Tough crumbOverworked doughSlice thinly; toastMix minimally
Wet centreLoaf too deepContinue baking, tentedUse a broad round shape
Dark topStrong upper heatTent looselyCheck before end time

Optional raisins are omitted. This selected version includes egg, butter and sugar.

Ingredient choices & substitutions
IngredientSpecified typeBrandStatus
MilkCultured buttermilkNoneAcidic ingredient required
FlourPlain AP, not self-risingNoneSpecified type
IngredientAlternative / ratioAdjust handlingLikely outcome
ButtermilkCold milk plus lemon juice15 mL juice; add milk to 420 mL totalMix before usingAcidifies milk; flavour may be milder
EggOmitLeave out 1 eggNo other source adjustmentSlightly lighter loaf

Match the ingredient’s function and weight. See the flour, gluten, yeast and salt guide.

Other approaches to this recipe

Maehashi’s wholemeal blend omits egg, butter and sugar and uses a flatter disc. She reports side-by-side enrichment trials. Her result supports a different loaf, not changing McKenney’s ingredient ratios.

Cook / recipeUseWhat differs
Sally McKenneySally’s BakingGrandma’s Irish Soda BreadSelected formula and method · Adapted family recipeWhite flour; butter; egg; small sugar addition
Nagi MaehashiRecipeTin EatsIrish Soda BreadComparison and minimal-handling guidance · Different family/developer account; independence not auditedWhite/wholemeal blend; no enrichment

The working ingredients and method form one recipe. Different formulas are compared without averaging their quantities or rise schedules.

Sally’s Baking

Recipe

Irish soda bread

A tender buttermilk loaf raised with bicarbonate.

How do I make it?

  1. Get ready

    Before mixing

    Heat the oven to 205°C. Line a baking tray or use a seasoned skillet.

    Baker prepares an empty cast iron skillet beside the oven.
    Preheat the oven and have the skillet ready before mixing.

    Ready when: Pan ready

  2. Mix

    Briefly

    Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in one bowl. In another, mix the dry ingredients and rub in the cold butter, leaving pea-sized pieces. Gently mix in the wet ingredients to make a rough dough.

    A wooden spoon folds a shaggy soda bread dough in a steel bowl.
    Fold in the wet ingredients briefly to make a shaggy dough.

    Ready when: Shaggy dough

  3. Shape

    About 30 sec kneading

    Gather the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for only about 30 seconds, just until the flour is moistened. Shape into a round and cut a cross 1.3 cm deep in the top; the dough need not be smooth.

    Baker cuts a cross into a rough round soda bread dough in a skillet.
    Gather into a rough round and cut a cross in the top.

    Ready when: Cohesive, not smooth

  4. Bake

    45–55 min

    Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the centre reaches about 90°C. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too early.

    A golden soda bread loaf with an opened cross is checked in its skillet at the oven.
    Bake until the centre is cooked and the crust is golden.

    Ready when: Centre about 90°C

  5. Cool

    10 min before transfer

    Rest in the pan for 10 minutes so the crust sets, then move to a rack.

    One whole cross-topped soda bread loaf cools on a wire rack beside its empty skillet.
    Rest briefly in the pan, then let the loaf cool on a rack.

    Ready when: Crust set

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
Tough crumbOverworked doughSlice thinly; toast Mix minimally
Wet centreLoaf too deepContinue baking, tented Use a broad round shape
Dark topStrong upper heatTent loosely Check before end time
Useful recipe notes

Optional raisins are omitted. This selected version includes egg, butter and sugar.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Irish soda bread at a glance

Makes
1 round loaf
Heat
205°C
Baking time
45–55 min