Irish Soda Bread

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This Irish Soda Bread is a family favorite. It has a crunchy exterior while the inside is soft and buttery. It’s flavored with fragrant caraway seeds and plump dark raisins. And there’s a slight sweetness. It’s a good thing this bread is super simple to make because your family will be requesting it all the time after the first bite!

This Irish Soda Bread is a family favorite for St. Patrick's Day. It's flavored with fragrant caraway seeds and plump dark raisins. 

Irish soda bread is a very simple bread made without yeast. The baking soda and buttermilk work together to create leavening, resulting in a soft fluffy interior.

Using a light hand while kneading the dough together is also important for a delicate interior. You don’t want a smooth dough, aim for shaggy dough that is slightly sticky.

Caraway seeds and raisins provide an exquisite flavor profile. This is definitely one of the fancier versions of soda bread I’ve seen.

This Irish Soda Bread is a family favorite for St. Patrick's Day. It's flavored with fragrant caraway seeds and plump dark raisins. 

After attempting my first soda bread, I couldn’t believe how easy it was! It’s seriously the easiest bread I’ve ever made. You only need one bowl and a wooden spoon to make this recipe.

I tested this recipe a few different ways: without egg, with less butter, with more raisins… The final result that I’m sharing with you today is the one my family loves! It’s tender and buttery on the inside and the crunchy crust adds a lovely texture contrast.

This Irish soda bread is full of raisins and caraway seeds. I adore the fragrant kick the caraway seeds add. It’s by far my favorite part of the bread. However, if you are not a fan of caraway seeds, feel free to reduce the amount or omit them all together.

The bread is baked in a cast iron pan or on a baking sheet. I’ve found that when using a cast iron, the exterior of the bread will brown quicker than when baking on a regular baking sheet. Because of this, you may need to tent aluminum foil over the bread halfway through baking. This will keep the bread from turning too brown.

Enjoy your soda bread the day it is made! It’s best when eaten fresh and will begin to dry out after a couple days.

This Irish Soda Bread is a family favorite for St. Patrick's Day. It's flavored with fragrant caraway seeds and plump dark raisins. 

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with freshly baked Irish Soda Bread!

If you’re looking for more delicious bread recipes, try this rosemary olive beer bread or this cheddar jalapeno buttermilk bread.

Baked by an Introvert | Irish Soda Bread is perfect for St. Patrick's Day
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Irish Soda Bread

This Irish Soda Bread is a family favorite. It has a crunchy exterior while the inside is soft and buttery. It’s flavored with fragrant caraway seeds and plump dark raisins. And there’s a slight sweetness. It’s a good thing this bread is super simple to make because your family will be requesting it all the time after the first bite!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yields 10 servings
Calories 291 kcal
Author Jen Sobjack

Ingredients

  • 4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 tablespoons softened, 1 tablespoon melted)
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Lightly grease a cast iron skillet or baking sheet and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and caraway seeds. Stir with a whisk to combine. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in the raisins.

  3. In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk the egg and buttermilk together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes too difficult to stir anymore. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and with well-floured hands, gently knead the dough into a ball. Be careful not to over-knead. The dough should be slightly sticky and "shaggy".

  4. Place the dough on the prepared skillet or baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to score the top of the dough about an inch deep in the shape of a cross. Bake for 30 to 35 mins, until golden brown. If the top begins to get too brown during baking, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.

  5. Remove from oven and brush the top with melted butter. Cool in the skillet or pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

Irish Soda Bread is best on the day it's made. It will begin to dry out after a day or two.

This Irish Soda Bread is a family favorite for St. Patrick's Day. It's flavored with fragrant caraway seeds and plump dark raisins. 
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Like this recipe? Then you must try these:

Spiced Pear BreadSpiced Pear Bread
Cheddar Jalapeno Buttermilk BreadCheddar Jalapeno Buttermilk Bread
Rosemary Olive Beer BreadRosemary Olive Beer Bread
Slow Cooker BreadSlow Cooker Bread

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