Tried and tested, easy to prepare Irish Soda Bread flavored with caraway seeds, orange zest, and raisins. Delicious served with butter.
Irish Soda Bread is a delicious quick bread that is very easy to prepare. I loved it the first time I ever tasted it was at my friend’s home. My friend is of Irish descent and she makes wonderful quick breads with spelt flour. Like all expert homemakers, she makes it with the touch of the fingers and the measure of the mind. 😉 There is no exact recipe or measurement but it comes out perfect each time.
St. Patrick’s Day, Corned Beef, and Irish Soda Bread
On St. Patrick’s Day, we are all Irish. 😉 Each year I prepare Corn Beef and Cabbage because the family enjoys it very much. I also make Irish Soda Bread from a recipe in this Celebration Breads (affiliate link) cookbook my boys gave me for my birthday some years back. The bread comes out perfect each time. It is moist and delicious and the aroma from the baked bread is just amazing! I like to eat it warm with butter and a cup of tea.
Use Cold Butter and Buttermilk
Soda bread is very much like a gigantic scone. Always use cold butter to achieve a flaky texture and buttermilk for a tender crumb. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, caraway seeds, sugar, and orange zest in a large bowl. Then, add cold butter cubes and cut it in with a dough blender until the ingredients look like coarse breadcrumbs.
Then, stir in the raisins or golden raisins (if preferred) before adding the buttermilk and mix with a spatula.
Knead and Shape The Dough
You will have to knead it gently to form a ball of sticky dough. Transfer the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and pat to form a 6 inch circle. Dust loaf with flour and cut a cross on the top of the loaf about ½ inch deep.
Baking Time
Pop the shaped dough into a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Tools Used in Making This Irish Soda Bread
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
Dough Blender, Top Professional Pastry Cutter with Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Blades
Stainless Steel Pastry Scraper, Dough Blender & Biscuit Cutter Set (3 Pieces/ Set)
AirBake Nonstick 2 Pack Cookie Sheet Set, 14in x 12in and 16in x 14in
Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (300g)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp grated orange zest
- 4 tbsp cold butter (cut into cubes) (56g)
- ½ cup raisins / golden raisins (80g)
- 1 cup low fat buttermilk (240ml)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, caraway seeds, sugar, and orange zest until well combined. Cut in butter with dough blender or using 2 knives until dry ingredients resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
- Stir in raisins/golden raisins.
- Add buttermilk and stir to mix. Gently knead several times until dough forms.
- Place dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pat to form a 6 inch circle. Dust loaf with flour. Cut a cross on the top of the loaf about ½ inch deep.
- Bake for approximately 35 minutes. When you tap the loaf, it should have a hollow sound.
- Remove and cool on a rack.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestion For Irish Soda Bread
This bread is delicious simply served with butter and a cup of tea or as a side with Corn Beef and Cabbage or this slightly different Guinness Brown Sugar Glazed Corned Beef. Both versions are delicious.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corn Beef and Cabbage always remind me of the old comic strip Bringing Up Father with Jiggs and Maggie. Jiggs was an Irishman who became rich in the United States but still maintained his old ways. He loved eating corned beef and cabbage, much to the consternation of his wife, Maggie who was a social climber out to impress. It was a fun syndicated strip to read. 🙂
NOTE: The original publication of this post was on March 16th, 2010. This republication comes with new pictures and updated writeup.
Bellini Valli says
Happy St. Paddy's Day:D
Cinnamon-Girl says
What a delicious feast for St. Paddy's Day! Your soda bread is perfect with a cup of tea. What a treat.
shahana says
Perfect for St.Patrick's day celebration!!
Biren says
Bellini Valli – Thanks for visiting and Happy St Paddy's Day to you too!
Cinnamon Girl – Thanks! It is delicious with tea 🙂
Daily Spud says
Gorgeous! And perfect for celebrating that most Irish of holidays, too.
Biren says
Shahana – A Happy St. Patrick's Day to you as well 🙂
Daily Spud – Thanks for visiting and Happy St. Paddy's Day!
Cristina @ TeenieCakes says
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!
That's a beautiful looking Soda Bread. =)
5 Star Foodie says
Your Irish soda bread looks perfectly delicious! Happy St. Patrick's Day!
denise @ quickies on the dinner table says
That looks like a great, big, scone and I think you know how mad I am for them – so I would of course, LOVE this! The texture look fantatic and I think I would be interesting to have fruit studded soda bread with a savoury dish like corned beef and cabbage.
Btw, I've given you an award because I love your blog and recipes and I REALLY hope you accept it LOL Here's the link – hope you check it out!
http://quickiesonthedinnertable.yolasite.com/recipes/my-first-award-yay-
MaryMoh says
Everything looks very delicious!
Gulmohar says
Happy St. Patrick's day !!! got to try this soda bread sometimes and the tea looks so inviting 🙂
Biren says
Christina@Teenie Cakes – Thanks for visitig and a very Happy St. patrick's Day to you as well!
5 Star Foodie – Thank you! Happy St. Patrick's Day to you too!
MaryMoh – Thanks very much! Happy St.Patrick's Day!
Gulmohar – Happy St. Patrick's Day to you too! I hope you will try the soda bread 🙂
Biren says
denise@quickies on the dinner table – Gee…… Denise, I am speechless and excited all at the same time!!! You are awesome!
I am HONORED to accept. Thank you so much for your vote of confidence and your constant support and encouragement.
Supriya Nair says
Amazing recipes here you have dear…love the clicks…and I am in luv with your china and cutlery…they add a special something to your clicks and I love the clicks
The Cooking Ninja says
I love the look of this bread. I'm going to try it out tonite. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe with us.
Stella says
Ooh, this is the first soda bread post I've seen that really makes me want some-with a cup of tea that is!
Biren says
Supriya Nair – Thanks for your compliments and for visiting. I hope you return often.
The Cooking Ninja – You won't be disappointed. I am really pleased with it 🙂
Stella – Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed your visit and will return often 🙂
mangocheeks says
Biren,
I made my first ever soda bread last year (and it contained bananas too) and can vouch at its simplicity to make. I'll be making it again, soon in fact now that you've tempted me again.
Warm wishes.
Cookin' Canuck says
Perfect with a cup of tea on St. Paddy's Day (or any other day). The buttermilk must make is so moist.
Biren says
Mangocheeks – Yes, it is quick and easy to make. Can be made any time of the year as it was quite delicious with butter and of course, tea. Thanks for visiting!
Cookin' Canuck – Yes, I like it with a cup of tea. Buttermilk really does make breads very moist 🙂
Ruby says
Looks gorgeous, like an enormous scone. Wish I had seen it earlier in the day!
Biren says
It’s really good with a cup of tea. Can be made anytime, not just for St.Patrick’s Day. 😉
Ann@Anncoo Journal says
Looks very delicious. Hope to have a slice too!
Biren says
Thanks Ann! I would love to share a slice with you. 🙂
Mari @ Mari's Cakes says
I am so hungry now looking at that cabbage and corn beef! Your bread looks fabulous, I did one too yesterday for the first time, I love it more today, it tasted better 🙂 Have a wonderful week.