Irish Soda Bread

Super easy, crusty, and popular Irish bread with a beautiful dense crumb and slightly tender interior. No need for resting and no mixer involved. Quick, easy, and delightful bread any time of the day!

Course Bread

Cuisine Irish

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings slices

Calories 400kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 cup (245g) buttermilk
1 egg , slightly beaten
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (125g) cake flour
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (6g) baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5g) salt
5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter , cold and cubed
1 ½ -2 cups (225g-300g) raisins
½ cup (115g) sour cream
granulated sugar for sprinkling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with baking paper. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose and cake flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the cubed butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it becomes coarse and fully incorporated.
Then fold in the raisins with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Next, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture and mix.
Gently fold in the sour cream into dough together to fully incorporate until dough is too stiff to stir.
Sprinkle a bit of flour on your working surface and so as your hands and work on the dough into a ball. Then divide dough into to two smaller dough and knead for about 30 seconds or until flour is moistened. Dough should be soft and sticky. If it’s too sticky, just add a little more flour and remember not to over knead the dough.
Transfer both dough into the lined baking sheet pan. Using a very sharp buttered knife, gently cut a 1/3″ deep X on the top of the dough. Bake for about 45 minutes or until bread appears golden brown and center is cooked through. If you notice that it browns heavily while halfway through the baking time, loosely cover the bread with an aluminum foil.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Serve it with stews and soups or slather with butter and jam for breakfast.

Notes

This bread is best enjoyed shortly after baking, but you can wrap it tightly and store at room temperature for 3-4 days. It also freezes well for up to 2-3 months. Simply thaw and reheat before serving.
Raisins are optional. You can replace it with 1 cup of nuts, oats, dried cranberries, or any berries or currants. Or simply leave it plain. It would still taste good.
If you don't have any buttermilk at home, you can do this do-it-yourself version. For every cup of buttermilk needed, just mix 1 cup of regular milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix and let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. Please keep in mind that it is a rough estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition