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British Irish

Irish Soda Bread

A rustic Irish soda bread made with buttermilk and baking soda for a tender crumb and firm crust.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Irish Soda Bread

50 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
None
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Oven.

No inactive time, and none is possible: soda bread has to reach the oven as soon as the buttermilk meets the baking soda, so heat the oven before you start mixing.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220°C and lightly grease a baking tray with the measured butter.

  2. Whisk the measured flour, baking soda, and salt together so the raising agent is evenly distributed.

  3. Pour in the measured buttermilk and mix gently until a shaggy dough forms.

  4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with minimal kneading.

  5. Shape into a round loaf, place it on the tray, and cut a deep cross on top to help the bread open evenly.

  6. Bake until the crust is browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

  7. Cool on a rack before slicing so the crumb sets properly.

How to tell it's done

The loaf should have a firm crust, a tender crumb, and a lightly tangy buttermilk aroma.

Getting it right

Tip

Handle the dough lightly; over-kneading makes soda bread tough instead of tender.

What to serve it with

Serve warm with butter, soup, stew, or a simple breakfast plate.

Common mistakes

The loaf is dense and heavy.
Mix only until the dough comes together and get it into the oven quickly. Soda bread rises on the reaction between buttermilk and bicarbonate, which starts the moment they meet — kneading it like yeast bread wastes that lift and toughens the crumb.
The middle is raw while the crust is dark.
Cut the cross deep, right into the loaf. It is not decoration; it lets heat into the centre of a fairly wet, dense dough.

Substitutions

  • Use Whole Wheat Flour for part of the flour for a denser, nuttier loaf; gluten remains.
  • If buttermilk is unavailable, use Milk soured with Lemon Juice, but the flavour will be milder.
  • Do not replace Baking Soda with yeast; that changes the bread style and timing.

Storing and reheating

Best on the day it is baked. It keeps two days wrapped in a cloth and is excellent toasted after that — soda bread stales fast. It freezes for two months, sliced, and toasts from frozen.