Sweet Irish Soda Bread

Sweet Irish Soda Bread has a golden, crunchy, sweet crust with a moist, buttermilk interior, and tangy cranberries dotted throughout. This easy quick bread recipe mixes up in minutes and has gluten free adaptations included!

Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe!

Sweet Irish Soda Bread was the only Irish soda bread I ate growing up, so I assumed all versions were equally yummy. Turns out, not so much.

During college I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day the way any collegiate would – drinking lots of green beer.

But I wasn’t a complete heathen. The night had to start with proper meal at an Irish pub.

When the server placed the Irish Soda Bread on the table I happily dug in, forewarning my friends to get ready for a doughy goodness flavor explosion.

I immediately spit it out, swearing to my friends I would make them”real” Irish soda bread so they could experience what bread heaven tastes like.

Turns out the recipe I grew up on wasn’t exactly from the old country. You see, the recipe I grew up on uses a smidgen more sugar than traditional recipes.

Hence, why we counted down the days to the St. Patrick’s meal growing up. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on two of my mom’s most anticipated recipes – Ultimate Sweet Irish Soda Bread dotted with raisins or dried cranberries and her Apple Brown Sugar Corned Beef and Cabbage.

What is Irish Soda Bread? 

Irish soda bread typically has a hard crust with a tangy, moist interior. It’s considered a quick bread because baking soda is used to leaven the bread instead of yeast.

Soured milk or buttermilk is used to activate the baking soda.

The region of Ireland determines the shape of the bread. Irish Soda Bread can be a round loaf, triangular shapes, or flattened discs.

Sweet irish bread recipes, like this one, will taste differently than traditional irish soda bread. It’s extremely moist, more sweet tasting and cakey. None of these things are a bad thing in my book!

Why is there a cross on Soda Bread?

Traditionally a cross was slashed on the top of the bread to ward off the devil and protect the household from bad spirits.

However, since Sweet Irish Soda Bread contains an ample amount of baking powder, the slash also helps the bread to rise rapidly without cracking. 

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread 

Lucky for all you gluten free peeps, very easily!

Traditional Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread, meaning no yeast or rest is needed for it to rise. These types of breads work wonderfully when substituting gluten free flour.

I always make this Sweet Irish Soda Bread recipe using regular all-purpose flour for my family and an additional loaf using my favorite gluten free flour for me. 

See below for other bread recipes that can be easily adapted using gluten free flour. ⬇️

Does Irish Soda Bread Freeze Well? 

Luckily for me and my pants, it does because Sweet Irish Soda Bread is extremely hard to ignore. Irish Soda Bread freezes very well!

Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag. 

Alternatively, cool Sweet Irish Soda Bread completely, slice, and then transfer to a freezer bag. This allows you to grab and thaw slices as needed. 

What to Serve with Moist, Sweet Irish Soda Bread

The most perfect accompaniment is Corned Beef and Cabbage, of course!

Check out game changing Slow Cooker (or Instant Pot) Corned Beef and Cabbage) flavored with apple, brown sugar, and whole grain mustard.

If you’d rather cook the cabbage separately, check out this phenomenal Crispy Roasted Cabbage Steaks recipe! 

How to Make Sweet Irish Soda Bread

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Make a well in the middle.
3. Whisk together liquid ingredients – melted butter, buttermilk, and egg.
4. Pour into well and mix together. 
5. Add dried cranberries (or raisins) and mix until no flour pockets remain.
6. Place in butter cast iron pan or round cake pan and bake for 1 hour.

What Kind of Pan Should Soda Bread be baked in?

If you don’t own a cast iron skillet, no problem! Soda bread may be baked in a variety of pans.

The easiest substitution for a cast iron skillet is a cake layer pan. Grease a 9″ cake pan and shape the dough into a ball in the middle. As the bread bakes, the dough will spread and fill out the pan.

A baking sheet may also be used. Simply shape the dough into ball in the middle of a greased baking sheet. The dough will spread slightly, but it will still maintain its ball shape.

Some readers have also split the dough between two bread loaf pans. If diving the dough, the baking time will decrease. Start checking around 35 minutes baking time.

Substitute for Buttermilk in Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda bread made with buttermilk gives a creamy, tangy taste. Also, according to Fine Cooking, buttermilk adds acidity, which keeps bake goods moist and tender by breaking down gluten.

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, save yourself a trip to the store. It can easily be made at home in five minutes!

1. Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup.
2. Add milk until you have 1 1/3 cup total liquid.
3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stir, and then use.

Other MamaGourmand Favorite Bread Recipes

• Blueberry Zucchini Bread
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bread
• Bacon Maple Cornbread
• Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits

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Sweet Irish Soda Bread

Sweet Irish Soda Bread has a golden, crunchy, sweet crust with a moist, buttermilk interior, and tangy cranberries dotted throughout. This easy quick bread recipe mixes up in minutes!

4.02 from 57 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 20 slices

Author: Melissa Erdelac

Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour or gluten free flour, (my preferred gluten free flour is Cup 4 Cup brand)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/3 cup buttermilk*
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries**

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350º. Grease a cast iron skillet or 9" cake pan with butter. (See recipe notes for other options.)
  
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
  
• In a small bowl whisk together butter, buttermilk, and egg.
  
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, pouring it into the well and stir to form a soft dough. The dough will be very thick and might need to be kneaded slightly to work in the flour. Add the cranberries. Mix or knead until no flour pockets remain.
• Shape dough into a ball (use lightly wet fingers if dough is sticky) and transfer to the prepared pan. Use a sharp knife to make an "X" on top of the the ball.
• Bake until set, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Insert a knife or toothpick in the middle to make sure it's set. To prevent the bread from becoming overly brown, loosely tent foil over top for the last 10-15 minutes baking time. Baking times can be longer, depend on the size of pan you bake it in and if using gluten free flour, which takes longer. 

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Notes

 

**You can also sub in dried cherries or raisins for the cranberries.

 

Substitute for Buttermilk 

1. Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup.
2. Add milk until you have 1 1/3 cup total liquid.
3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stir, and then use.

 

What Kind of Pan Should Irish Soda Bread be baked in?

• 10" cast iron skillet
• 9" cake pan
• baking sheet - Shape the dough into ball in the middle of a greased baking sheet. The dough will spread slightly, but it will still maintain its ball shape.
• Some readers have also split the dough between two bread loaf pans. If diving the dough, the baking time will decrease. Start checking around 35 minutes baking time.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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