Irish soda bread ~ quick and easy traditional recipe bakes up crusty and dense with flour, sugar, baking soda, butter, raisins, egg and buttermilk.
I have been baking this Irish soda bread every St. Patrick’s Day for nearly two decades after discovering the recipe in Saveur. It’s simple, reliable and deeply satisfying — especially for a non-baker. This is a classic, traditional version that requires no yeast and no kneading, so it’s foolproof and fast.
This bread has a crisp crust and a dense, tender crumb. The ingredients are straightforward: flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, butter, raisins, an egg and buttermilk. After combining the dry ingredients and cutting in the butter, you stir in the wet ingredients, shape the dough into a round, and score an X on top before baking. The X is a traditional touch — some say it symbolizes a cross — and slicing or tearing the loaf at the table is part of the rustic charm.
The method is intentionally simple, ideal for cooks who don’t often make bread. Sift the dry ingredients, cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then stir in the raisins. Make a well in the center, add the beaten egg and buttermilk, and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is just combined. The dough will be stiff; lightly flour your hands and gently form it into a round. Transfer to a baking sheet, score the top, and bake until golden and hollow-sounding on the bottom.
Recipe Notes and Tips for Soda Bread
- For a festive twist, swap the raisins for dried cranberries and add the zest of one orange to make cranberry-orange soda bread — lovely for holidays.
- Soda bread freezes well. Cool it completely, then wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in a freezer bag for up to a few months.
- Serve warm with plenty of butter and jam if you like. Leftovers toast beautifully and make a great breakfast the next day.
On St. Patrick’s Day, I always serve this bread alongside corned beef and cabbage. It consistently delivers: rustic, comforting and easy to prepare. If you have any leftovers, toast them and enjoy with butter for a simple breakfast. I should really make this more often than once a year — and you might want to too. Happy St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ Kelly
Below is the recipe card with ingredients, instructions and nutrition information. It has been adapted from the Saveur magazine version and organized for clarity.
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to cut the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg and buttermilk. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is just combined and difficult to stir.
- Lightly flour your hands and gently knead the dough just until it forms a rough ball. Transfer to a floured board and shape into a round.
- Place the round on a lightly greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut a ½-inch deep cross across the top. Bake about 40 minutes, until golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Cool briefly on a wire rack and serve warm with butter.
Recipe Notes
- For a cranberry-orange variation, substitute dried cranberries for the raisins and add the zest of one orange.
- To freeze: cool completely, wrap tightly and freeze whole or in slices.
- Serve with butter and jam. Leftovers are excellent toasted for breakfast.
Nutrition
*Adapted from Saveur magazine, March 2001