When you want to bake a homemade bread and want something quick and easy with just a few ingredients then Irish soda bread is the perfect bread to make. A simple and no fuss bread that requires minimal effort and no yeast which is the main ingredient in nearly all breads. The key ingredient in this easy soda bread is baking soda which is used as the leavening agent instead of yeast. This allows the bread to be prepared more quickly than the regular yeast bread. So there is no need for the extra kneading or even proofing.

Irish soda bread bakes up beautifully and taste great warm with butter and jam. You could also have this bread with soups or stews. Any leftover bread taste great toasted with butter. Soda bread is nice and soft in the inside and has a beautiful crust on the outside. A nice brown and crispy bread which looks and taste great.

Make this bread in no time, only takes 5 minutes to prepare and a bake time of 40 minutes. So next time you run out of bread and you don’t have any yeast then go ahead and make this quick and easy bread. It’s a great way to enjoy breakfast with family and try something new out especially if you haven’t made soda bread before.

Where does soda bread originate from?

Soda bread is more commonly known to be popular by the Irish, Ireland thus the Irish soda bread but actually was invented by the native Americans. Now very popular among many, for easy bread making when in a hurry.

Ingredients used to make Irish soda bread

Ground wholemeal flour is the original type of flour that is used in Irish soda bread. Wholemeal flour is a softer flour which will give you a delicious nutty taste as well as great texture to the bread.

White flour, all purpose flour. In this recipe equal amounts of wholemeal and all purpose flour are used to give the bread a nice texture. Also helping the bread with the overall structure and giving the bread a more tender crumb.

Salt is added for taste and seasoning.

Baking soda which is really the key ingredient here. Baking soda works as the leavening agent. The reaction between the baking soda and buttermilk produce carbon dioxide which causes the bread to rise. Hence the reason why yeast is not required.

Buttermilk helps to activate the baking soda. If you can’t get hold of buttermilk in stores then you can make it at home very easily. For this recipe you can mix 1 tablespoon and a half of lemon juice to 400 ml of milk. Stir and let that stand for 15 minutes.

Making the bread

In a bowl add in all the dry ingredients and give that a little mix with your hands. Then add in the buttermilk (the recipe makes 400 ml butter milk, don’t add the whole thing in as the mixture gets too wet, instead use 390 ml) bringing all the ingredients together.

Get the dough together by gathering the dough and pushing into the middle with your hand and fist, binding everything together. Sprinkle some flour onto work surface and tip the dough out. Start to fold the dough into a ball, shaping it out with your hands. Gently kneading, try not to over work the dough you really just need a ball and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Use some extra flour on your hands if the dough is too sticky. The stickier the dough the more moist the bread will be. Use enough flour to make the dough manageable.

Sprinkle some wholemeal flour onto a baking tray and on the dough. Place the dough into the middle of the tray and cut the dough as much as you can right into and through the middle from one end to the other. Making a cross cut in the dough, this will ensure even baking. Bake at 356 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. The bread will open up and look all brown and crispy.

Once baked the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy warm Irish soda bread with butter and jam or with soups or stews.

Soda bread keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

A quick and easy no yeast bread, Irish Soda bread

Recipe by Shema Course: BreadCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

Loaf

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 250 grams wholemeal/wholewheat flour
  

• 250 grams white/all purpose flour
  

• 1 teaspoon of salt
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 390 ml buttermilk (check blog post above for homemade buttermilk recipe)
  

Directions

• Preheat oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl add in all the dry ingredients (both flours, salt and baking soda) and give that a little mix with your hands
• Add in the buttermilk bringing all the ingredients together with your hands
• Get the dough together by gathering the dough and pushing into the middle with your hand and fist, binding everything together
• Sprinkle some flour onto work surface and tip the dough out. Start to fold the dough into a ball, shaping it out with your hands
• Gently kneading, try not to over work the dough you really just need a ball and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Use some extra flour on your hands if the dough is too sticky
• Sprinkle some wholemeal flour onto a baking tray and on the dough
• Place the dough into the middle of the tray and cut the dough as much as you can right into and through the middle from one end to the other. Making a cross cut in the dough
• Bake at 356 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. The bread will open up and look all brown and crispy
• Once baked the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a cooling rack
• Enjoy warm with butter and jam or with soups or stews.

Notes

• Soda bread keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Taste great toasted the next day.

Check this delicious Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe out!