Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Recipe from Darina Allen

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(2,859)
Comments
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While soda bread with add-ins like currants and caraway can be delicious, it's not at all authentic. In Ireland, soda bread tends to be plainer and more restrained. Here is a classic Irish soda bread recipe adapted from Darina Allen, an Irish television personality and the owner of the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry. This soda bread is best eaten still steaming from the oven, slathered with good salted Irish butter that melts on contact with your slice. It’s a fine accompaniment to corned beef and cabbage, should you be making that dish this St. Paddy’s Day. Or make this recipe all year long. That’s how they do it in Ireland. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: For Purists, a Classic Version of Irish Soda Bread

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Ingredients

Yield:1 loaf, 8 to 12 servings
  • 450grams all-purpose flour (about 3½ cups)
  • 3grams fine sea salt (about ½ teaspoon)
  • 4grams baking soda (about ¾ teaspoon)
  • 1½cups buttermilk, more as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

174 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 188 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Using your hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but not wet and sticky.

  2. Step 2

    Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. Knead the dough lightly for a few seconds, then pat the dough into a round about 1½ inches thick. Place it on a buttered baking sheet and using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross in the center of the dough reaching out all the way to the sides.

  3. Step 3

    Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and continue to bake until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes longer. Serve warm.

FAQS

  1. The classic recipe contains just four ingredients: flour, buttermilk, salt, and baking soda (hence the bread’s name). In Ireland, the flour traditionally used for soda bread is a coarse-milled soft wheat variety, which yields a loaf with more texture and flavor than one made with all-purpose flour. To replicate that taste, recipes outside of Ireland often call for a mix of all-purpose and whole-wheat flours. Mix-ins like dried currants and caraway seeds are common in some Irish American versions. The dough comes together quickly in a bowl and should be baked immediately and enjoyed while still warm.

Ratings

4 out of 5
2,859 user ratings
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Comments

Emy

Loved this recipe! Was easy to make and turned out great! And I'm only 15. Lol. Will definitely make this again. ❤️

Rachel

During the second world war in Northern Ireland we had very little butter and few eggs. We made soda bread this way, but used half white and half whole meal flour. No raisins and no caraway seeds. I still make it the same way.

RAP

Most of us are celebrating our Irish American heritage, and caraway seeds are important. Much like corned beef, a tablespoon in reminds us of the Jewish-Irish mix on the Lower East Side.

Andrea

Tough, hard crust even after wrapping in a clean tea towel after baking as others suggested. The best thing I can say is that it was easy to make. I’ll find something else just as easy to make next time I want a quick bread.

Rogers

Followed the directions to the letter all turned out ok served with the traditional corned beef and cabbage. Was great.

Tom

This is a great recipe. I made it for the first time as a bread for St Pat's day with corned beef cabbage etc. Everybody loved it. I made it with half all purpose white flour and half whole wheat. Also used low-fat buttermilk because that's what the store carried. I also baked it about 1 hour before serving it. Still warm from the oven was a big hit. Baking time was right on. I also used a sheet of parchment paper but it probably wasn't necessary

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Credits

Adapted from Darina Allen

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