Irish Soda Bread Recipe Calories

This is an easy Irish soda bread recipe with a 5-minute preparation and no kneading skills required! This yeast-free dough is perfect for beginner bakers and busy families!

Soda bread (Irish: arán sóide) is a traditional Irish bread. The dough for this bread doesn’t use yeast, but bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) which is the rising agent here.

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No mixer and no proofing are needed to make a loaf of this brown soda bread. It’s so easy that it makes a great baking project for kids as well.

Homemade Irish Soda Bread Recipe: How To Make It

It is a perfect choice for those who want to try and make homemade bread but are put off by the long process that needs to be followed for yeast based breads. This Irish soda bread is quick to make and tastes amazing!

We love this brown soda bread lightly toasted with butter and homemade preserves (Low Sugar Strawberry Jam is our favorite as well as Mixed Berry Jam).

But because it is not sweet, it goes also well with creamy soups like Zucchini Soup or Potato Leek Soup (which is so easy to make in a pressure cooker!).

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Wholemeal and all-purpose flour are combined with salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. I have a 4.25-quart (4-liter) Mason Cash Bowl (see the link below) that I love for making Irish brown soda bread.

It’s wide enough so you can form a dough easily by hands, without having to transfer it onto a worktop. Now that being said, if you end up with a softer dough, it will be easier to shape it into a loaf on a worktop rather than in a bowl.

Now, give all those 4 ingredients a good stir before you add buttermilk. Then, all you have to do is mix everything – start with a wooden spoon and finish it off with your hands.

Spring Onion And Cheese Soda Bread Recipe

You don’t need to knead it. You want to shape it into a loaf. Then, place it onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and brush the soda bread loaf with egg wash.

Baking should not take long – only about 30 minutes so you can easily make a loaf of this Irish soda bread on a weeknight.

If you like this Irish brown soda bread recipe, you might also like other Irish Recipes on our blog like Full Irish Breakfast or Irish Colcannon.

Irish Soda Bread Vs White Bread

Note: This Irish Brown Soda Bread is an old post that has been updated with new photos and detailed instructions with lots of useful tips.Sweet Irish soda bread is the perfect treat to make for Saint Patrick's day. Forget the green desserts, your guests will LOVE this authentic sweet bread served warm and slathered with lots of butter!

Sweet Irish soda bread is a little different than Authentic Irish soda bread which is made with only four ingredients. Soft pastry or cake flour, buttermilk, salt, and baking soda. This simple bread is made to be served as part of a meal like a hearty Irish stew.

Sweet Irish soda bread has more ingredients like eggs, butter, sugar, dried fruits and seeds added so it's more of a dessert served on its own.

Rosie's Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe

This sweet Irish soda bread recipe is straight from Grandma's recipe tin. Not my Grandma, my producer, Emily's Grandma! Cool huh! Nothing like recipes handed down through the generations. I feel like they always just taste better!

My mom has made this Irish soda bread every St. Patrick’s Day since I can remember. We love eating it with corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew. This recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother, whose family lived in Ireland and immigrated to America.

But when Emily brought this sweet Irish soda bread over that she and her mom made, I was sold! SO GOOD! Soft and tender, a little sweet and a great crunchy crust. Toasted with a little butter and I was in heaven.

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Irish Soda Bread

Sweet Irish soda bread has a few more ingredients in it than traditional Irish soda bread. Eggs, butter, sugar, buttermilk, salt, flour, baking soda, and baking powder make this bread so light, it's almost like a scone.

The only other thing you really need to make sweet Irish soda bread is a cast iron pan or dutch oven. The heavy metal really gives the bread that beautiful crusty crust that makes it so delicious!

This is not 100% necessary but a cheese grater is going to really be helpful. Use a cheese grater to work your cold butter into the flour mixture so it doesn't get warm. Cold butter is very important for tender Irish soda bread.

Macomb's Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Sweet Irish soda bread is meant to be enjoyed the day it is baked but it will keep at room temperature for up to two days. After that, it starts to dry out.

There are a lot of versions of Irish soda bread out there that stem from the original four-ingredient recipe. This sweet version would not be considered healthy but there is whole wheat Irish soda bread that is considered very healthy because it doesn't have any butter, eggs, or sugar and has whole wheat flour which is great for digestion.

Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

Easy White Soda Bread

Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

Try to use the same ingredients as the recipe calls for. If you must make a substitution, be aware that the recipe may not come out the same. I try to list substitutions where possible.

Grandma's

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 304 kcal | Carbohydrates: 47 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 60 mg | Sodium: 156 mg | Potassium: 180 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 18 g | Vitamin A: 348 IU | Calcium: 78 mg | Iron: 2 mgMy Irish Brown Bread is a family recipe for authentic Irish bread with a hearty texture. It's made with whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and buttermilk.

Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

If you've been to Ireland and stayed at any B & B, the experience of enjoying a warm slice of brown bread with fresh creamy butter and marmalade will be a fond memory. If you haven't had the experience, don't worry, this is the bread to transport you to the Irish countryside.

Once baked, the bread can be kept on the counter, wrapped well in plastic wrap or in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator.

I bake the bread in bulk because it's is a perfect bread to make ahead and freeze for later. Wrap the bread very well in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Or my preference is to use a food saver to freeze the bread.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread — Hungry Enough To Eat Six

The bread can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 months. Place in an airtight freezer safe bag. Defrost the bread, overnight in the refrigerator. Serve and enjoy.

Expert Tip: For a long time I made this in a 9 x 5 loaf pan. You can make it in either pan for delicious results. Bake at 375°F/190°C for about 40-45 minutes. Begin checking the loaf at 40 minutes to see if baked through. Use a toothpick to insert it into the loaf, it will come out clean when done.

I prefer to use regular oats because that is what I keep in the house and it has always been my go to, however, quick cooking oats will work too.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

When you do not have buttermilk available, you can use regular or low-fat milk and add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar for every cup of milk.

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A mix of light brown sugar and white granulated sugar can be used to make a deeper sweet flavor of the bread.

My family and friends famout Irish Soda Bread is a must make for all. Trust me, it has gotten so many 5 star reviews. I am so proud of this recipe and it tastes amazing.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe

9. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead a few times to combine the ingredients and be able to form a round dough.

10. Form the dough a round, about 8 inches in diameter and about 1 ½ inches high. Use a sharp knife to slice a cross into the top of the dough. I continue this tradition with my brown bread as I do with my soda bread.

I also like a rustic look to my bread and sprinkle some all purpose flour on the top of the bread right before baking.

Easy Irish Soda Bread

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

An authentic Irish Brown Bread. This bread is so quick and easy to prepare. This is a versatile bread that is wonderful in the morning with marmalade or jelly. Fantastic paired with a stew, soup, or a corned beef dinner. This