Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread with a delicious golden crust on the outside, moist and fluffy on the inside, and generously studded with plump raisins is the best quick bread loaf you’ll ever have! It’s perfect for all your St. Patrick’s celebrations but just as good all year long.

This recipe was first posted on March 18, 2016, and I am republishing it in time for your St. Patrick’s celebration. Deliciously golden on the outside yet fluffy and moist on the inside, it’s absolutely delicious!

In my perfect world, this Irish soda bread would have been up on the blog weeks in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, when everyone is searching for corned beef (BTW, I have an awesome corned beef hash recipe to make use of your leftover corned beef dinner!) and soda bread recipes.

Unfortunately, my world is presently a crazy balancing act of late hours at work and till-the-crack-of-dawn food blogging so I am posting this a day after St. Patrick’s instead. Fortunately, one day soon, I will have all the time in the world to do what I love best. I will be free to cook and shoot and write and share my favorite recipes with you, ON TIME!  For now, let me assure you that this quick bread is so good, it should be savored be all year long!

This recipe was given to me by the wife of one of our patients at work over our lively conversation about St. Patrick’s traditions last week. “My parents were both from Ireland and my mother made this often when I was growing up”, she stated. “I’ve modified my mom’s recipe over the years and have added a few things as the kind we had back in the days was just a basic dough of flour, baking soda, salt and sour milk.”

Her soda bread was definitely the best quick bread loaf I’ve ever had! I’ve baked it many times over since she gave me the recipe and it has never failed to please. With a crackling crust yet fluffy and moist underneath, thick slices generously slathered with copious amounts of whipped butter are absolutely divine with the piping hot cup of tea.

Here are a few helpful tips on how to make the best Irish Soda Bread at home:

• Quick breads use baking powder as the leavening agent. Check the expiration of your baking powder and make sure it’s fresh to ensure a full rise.
• Preheat your oven before you start preparing the batter. You don’t want the batter to stand too long before it goes into the oven as it may cause the middle of the bread to sink.
• For a moist, tender crumb, do NOT overmix the batter. Once you add the liquid to the flour mixture, stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Overmixing the batter will result in peaks, tunnels, and tough texture. A few lumps here and there are GOOD.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture instead of pouring the liquid ingredients all over. This will help you combine the wet and dry ingredients uniformly, preventing overmixing.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @OnionRingsAndThings on Facebook and Instagram!

4.06 from 74 votes

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread with a delicious golden crust on the outside, moist and fluffy on the inside, and generously studded with plump raisins is the best quick bread loaf you'll ever have! It's perfect for all your St. Patrick's celebration.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Course: Baked Goods

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8 Servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 ounces butter
• ▢ 2 eggs, beaten
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• ▢ 1 cup raisins

Instructions

• Grease a round casserole or loaf pan and set aside.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and cut into the flour using a pastry blender. Add raisins.
• In a small bowl, combine eggs and buttermilk. Whisk together until well-blended. 
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid. Mix together just until combined.
• Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake in a 350 F oven for 1 hour. 
• Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool. Remove from pan and slice into desired thickness.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 145g, Calories: 395kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 385mg, Potassium: 427mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 490IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 3mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”