Sweet Irish Soda Bread recipe has a golden, crunchy, sweet crust with a moist, buttermilk interior, and tangy cranberries dotted throughout. The best soda bread mixes up in minutes and includes easy gluten-free adaptations!
Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe!
Sweet Soda Bread was the only Irish soda bread recipe 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 the best, moist, goodness ever.
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, Mom used 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 – Irish Soda Bread dotted with raisins or dried cranberries and her Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage with apple juice .
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 soda bread recipes, like this one, will taste differently than traditional Irish soda bread. It’s extremely moist, more sweet tasting and cake-like. None of these things are a bad thing in my book!
How to Make Sweet Irish Soda Bread
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
This easy soda bread recipe requires no yeast, kneading or baking expertise! Better yet, it may be made with traditional or gluten-free flour to make a yummy gluten-free Irish soda bread recipe.
Find the step-by-step pictures below or go to this visual web story of how to make Irish soda bread.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the middle by pushing the dry ingredients from the middle of the bowl.
- Whisk together liquid ingredients – melted butter, buttermilk, and egg.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir together.
- Add the dried cranberries (or raisins) and mix until no flour pockets remain. The dough will be thick, so sometimes I briefly knead with my hands in the bowl.
- Place in buttered cast iron pan, 9-inch round cake pan, or baking sheet. Slash the top with a sharp knife and bake in a 350ºF oven for 1 hour.
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 those of you on a gluten-free diet. This bread can be transformed into the best gluten-free Irish soda bread as well!
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.
Substituting a quality gluten-free flour, such as Cup4Cup makes a gluten-free Irish soda bread recipe so good no one knows the difference. Instead of making separate loaves for my family and myself, we all enjoy the gluten-free recipe with just as much gusto!
Learn more about the best gluten-free flours, and see which ones work well for baking breads, or discover more gluten-free bread recipes in this free resource!
freezing and storing
Store leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature up to two days. Avoid refrigerating the bread because it will dry out.
Since this soda bread recipe is extremely hard to ignore, I’m glad it this bread freezes very well!
Once the bread has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag.
Alternatively, cool it completely, slice, and then transfer to a freezer bag. This allows you to grab and thaw slices as needed.
What to Serve with Irish Soda Bread
If you are looking for what to serve with soda bread, the most perfect accompaniment is corned beef and cabbage, of course!
Check out this game-changing Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage flavored with apple, brown sugar, and whole grain mustard. But, if you’d rather cook the cabbage separately, try Crispy Roasted Cabbage Steaks recipe instead.
This recipe is so addicting, though, many home cooks make it year round, not just for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s wonderful served warm with butter and jam for breakfast or serve alongside Irish stew, baked potato soup, or it makes an easy side dish to serve with shepherd’s pie.
baking pan options for irish soda bread
If you don’t own a cast iron skillet, no problem! This bread may be baked in a variety of pans.
The easiest substitution for a cast iron skillet is a round cake pan. Grease a 9-inch 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, or line with parchment paper. 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.
Substitution for Buttermilk
Irish soda bread made with buttermilk gives a creamy, tangy taste and moist interior. 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!
- Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup.
- Add milk until you have 1 1/3 cup total liquid.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stir, and then use.
More baking tips and modifications
- Instead of cranberries substitute raisins, dried cherries or leave the dried fruit out completely.
- For an added hint of orange add 1 tablespoon orange zest with the wet ingredients.
- Adjust the amount sugar for personal taste.
- When baking gluten-free Irish soda bread, the baking time will increase by 5-10 minutes.
- For an authentic add-in, substitute raisins and add 2 teaspoons caraway seeds.
Click here to see the
step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
more the best 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 (Extra Moist)
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour or gluten-free flour (I recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup dried cranberries see recipe notes for substitutions
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease a cast iron skillet or 9-inch round pan with butter. (See recipe notes for other options.)
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center by pushing the dry ingredients away from the center.4 cups all purpose flour or gluten-free flour,1 cup granulated sugar,1 teaspoon baking soda,1 teaspoon baking powder,¼ teaspoon salt
- In a small bowl whisk together the melted and cooled butter, buttermilk, and egg.⅓ cup unsalted butter,1⅓ cup buttermilk,1 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.¾ cup dried cranberries
- 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.
- DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? DON'T FORGET TO GIVE IT A STAR RATING AND COMMENT BELOW!
Recipe Notes
baking pan options
The easiest substitution for a cast iron skillet is a round cake pan. Grease a 9-inch 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, or line with parchment paper. 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.
Substitution for Buttermilk
- Pour 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup.
- Add milk until you have 1 1/3 cup total liquid.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes, stir, and then use.
More baking tips and modifications
- Instead of cranberries substitute raisins, dried cherries, or leave the dried fruit out completely.
- For an added hint of orange add 1 tablespoon orange zest with the wet ingredients.
- Adjust the amount sugar for personal taste.
- When baking gluten-free Irish soda bread, the baking time will increase by 5-10 minutes.
- For an authentic add-in, substitute raisins and add 2 teaspoons caraway seeds.
Nutrition
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Dianna says
Some caraway seeds (and substituting golden raisins) are also top notch in sweet soda bread!
Melissa says
Hi Dianna,
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
Diane G says
This recipe sounds delish! Can I substitute Carbquik (similar to Bisquik but lower in Carbs) for the flour in this recipe. Trying to stick to a low carb diet. Thanks for your input!
Bobbie says
I made this last year and it was awesome but I have to work tomorrow and would
like to bake this tonight. Will it still be good if not fresh out of the oven? Probably should let it cool then pop it into a ziplock bag, getting out as much air as possible, I’m thinking. Corned beef will be in slow cooker all day.
Melissa says
Hi Bobbie,
Yes you can definitely make this the day before. Just leave it unsliced and once it has cooled completely wrap it securely with foil and leave it on the counter.
Best,
Melissa
Melissa says
Hi Diane,
I haven’t tried this, but if you are going to do it I would recommend baking it in two loaf pans instead of free form on a baking sheet or in a cast iron pan. The baking time might change as well, so I would start checking it a little sooner.
Best,
Melissa
Anne says
You haven’t tried it-but you already know not to use cast iron or free form?
Melissa says
Anne,
Since it’s a non-traditional flour it might not have the same elasticity to hold the shape. It’s not going to hurt it to bake it in another pan, and I was just foreseeing it spreading more, and trying to prevent an oven mess. 🙂
Melissa
Tiffany says
Has anyone tried substituting the buttermilk for oat milk? My daughter is gluten dairy and nut free. I plan on swapping out the butter for our vegan option, I have baked with it before without fail. But not sure how oat milk would fair in this recipe.
Melissa says
Hi Tiffany,
That wouldn’t be a problem at all. It might lose a bit of flavor, but nothing noticeable! Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
Marylou says
When I found this recipe I just had to try it and we love it. During the pandemic this past year I’ve made it dozens of times. It always comes out perfect. My Irish husband prefers raisins so I substitute golden raisins for cranberries. I have one in the oven right now and it smells heavenly. Thanks for this recipe.
Melissa says
Hi Marylou,
I’m so happy you make this so often. I often make it as well anytime I have buttermilk to use up. It’s great to freeze and have for breakfast in the morning. I know this isn’t traditional Irish soda bread, so I’m glad your husband is pleased with it!
Best,
Melissa
Christine says
Loved it! Made it this morning and added cardamom (I am allergic to cinnamon, so I use cardamom like others use cinnamon) and it was delicious! And so easy to make. I was able to make with a cast on one arm.
Melissa says
Hi Christine,
I can’t wait to try it with the cardamom! I’m loving the sound of it! Thank you for taking the time to write.
Best,
Melissa
Barbara says
Just made this for the first time and it is delicious! Next time I will cut the sugar in half because it’s a bit to sweet for us but very good recipe!
Melissa says
Hi Barbara,
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and cutting the sugar definitely works. I’ve had a plenty of readers writing in to say it worked with great success!
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Thank you Melissa for this recipe which might finally match the wonderful Irish soda bread I enjoyed at Jim Brady’s Irish pub in Wall St district of NYC some years ago. I could never get their recipe either – it had modest sweetness, rich butter and buttermilk taste plus raisins – and was superior to any ISB tasted before. As other mentioned, will reduce to 1/2 cup of sugar because the raisins or sweet dried cranberries that will be just right sweetness. Your addition of an egg while not traditional to ISB, it will add taste and crust structure.Also plan to use an cast iron dutch oven, 3-4 qt which should bake well. From another recipe that was well tested, I will substitute 1 cup of the 4 cups of all purpose with cake flour (or White Lily flour- best biscuit flour you can find), since Irish wheat is softer than American wheat. Will let you know how it came out.
Melissa says
Hello!
I’m so happy you were able to replicate your favorite recipe. This makes me so happy! Love the cake flour idea. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.
Best,
Melissa
Eric says
Forgot to give 5 stars. Thank you again.
Eric says
Tried another recipe first. It just didn’t have the sweetness that we were looking for. Made this recipe in buttered casr iron and it was amazing. Great texture and flavor. Ours was without fruit but otherwise followed your instructions exactly. Thank you so much for this successful recipe. Added to our collection. 😊
Melissa says
Hi Eric,
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe so much. I agree, the texture and flavor isn’t quite like anything I’ve had before. I crave it all year long!
Best,
Melissa
Mairead says
When I was growing up in Ireland, my granny used to say she was letting the fairies out, when she scored the top of the unbaked loaf with a cross. Your soda bread looks delicious and the texture seems perfect. Thanks for your great recipe.
Melissa says
Hi Mairead,
I love this. Thank you so much for sharing!
Best,
Melissa
Amy says
I have been making gluten free Irish soda bread every St. Patrick’s Day for YEARS. I try a new recipe every year, because I hadn’t yet found one that was to die for…until today!!!! OMG this was the best soda bread I have ever had. I did reduce the sugar from 1 cup to 1/2 a cup. It had just the right amount of sweetness for my family. We can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow.
Melissa says
Wow, Amy, this makes me so happy! Thank you so much for taking a moment to write and brighten my day 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Anonymous says
Best Irish soda bread I ever tasted. I’m not Irish but my husband is and I try to make authentic dishes every year. I like the cranberries better than raisins.
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed it! What did the hubs think? From my understanding, it’s not exactly a “traditional” version.
Best,
Melissa
Carly says
I just am wrapping up the Irish Soda Bread and Cornbeef recipe from this pretty lady and from the samples I’ve been nibbling on.. my mouth is watering. First time making Irish Soda Bread… this recipe was so easy and delicious. I’ve failed 3 times in the past with corn beef… OMG these mixture of broth to cook it in.. makes it so perfect. My husband is going to be so excited!
-Carly
Melissa says
Hi Carly,
I couldn’t be happier this meal was such a hit for you and finally a success! I always buy a large corned beef, thinking we will have leftovers, and once again we ate it all. I guess it’s a good thing everyone loves it so much, or I would be eating a lot of corned beef!
Best,
Melissa
Kathy says
Came out yum. Used a bit more buttermilk, only half a cup of sugar, raisins ,and melted the butter in the cast iron skillet(1 stick) while oven heating, like I do for cornbread.
Melissa says
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the reduced sugar suggestion. Glad it worked out! That butter in the skillet sounds devine 🙂
Best,
Melissa
Victori says
Would a 12″ cast iron skillet be too large?
Melissa says
No, that would be fine. It will just spread a little more, so check it a little earlier. Happy St.Patty’s Day!
Laura Warnes says
I soaked my cranberries in orange juice before adding to recipe. I had a recipe once that had a slight citrus taste. I think this did the trick.
I also added the sparkling sugar crystals to the top just before baking.
This recipe was pretty perfect before any additions. I only added mine to tweak it just a little to remind me of a bakery version I’d had before. I’m really happy with this outcome.
Melissa says
Hi Laura,
I have added a little orange zest before too, but haven’t tried soaking the cranberries in OJ. Great idea! Thank you for sharing and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Best,
Melissa
Janet Mc says
Hi Melissa,
I originally found and made this recipe two years ago, but forgot to come back to post my feedback. I loved this soda bread! I live in a very Irish neighborhood in Chicago and Irish soda bread has been an annual treat since I was a kid. I’ve eaten gluten free for about 6 years, so the bakery soda bread I loved is taboo. This reminds me of the bakery version I loved. I’m about to make this using my (German) grandmother’s cast iron skillet. I cannot wait!!
Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Janet Mc
Melissa says
Hi Janet,
You are so welcome and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. This is the recipe I grew up on and I was ELATED when I found out it works just as well with gluten free flour too. Win for us!
Best,
Melissa
Charmaine Mansano says
It’s very good. Recipe didn’t say what sugar but I used brown sugar . My family love it.
Melissa says
Hi Charmine,
I’ve never tried it with brown sugar. Sounds amazing, though! Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Melissa
Michele says
Best ever. Added bonus……easy.
Melissa says
Love it and 100% agree!
SHARON says
2nd time to make and added 1 tsp Corriander….
.it is now PERFECT!!!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for the tip Sharon. I can’t wait to try it!
Sharon Gibson says
Made tonite…the BOMB!!! Family raved about it. Thx for posting recipe
Melissa says
Hey Sharon!
Thank you so much for the huge positive vote! I don’t know what it is about this bread, but it’s impossible to not love it. I could literally eat a whole loaf. I have to freeze it right away to save myself!
Best,
Melissa
Annie says
This looks lovely. I was just going through my kitchen to find a cake pan or caste iron skillet and realized that they’re both in my other house! Can I bake this loaf in a regular loaf pan or a glass pie plate?
Melissa says
Hi Annie,
You can literally bake this on or in anything so you are in luck! I’ve just plopped it down on a baking sheet, pie dish would work, or loaf pans (I would probably split between two). Enjoy!
Melissa
Sandra says
I decided to try your recipe with another recipe and baked both of them at the same time to see what the difference was? Hands down, your recipe wins! My family recipe doesn’t call for the cup of sugar, so it is not sweet, but I do like the sweet soda bread, so now it will be in my recipe collection too.
My only question is….the buttermilk and the melted butter. Why do you need melted butter? Wouldn’t room temp work too? I’m not patient so I added the melted butter to the buttermilk and it curdled. Wasn’t all that great the second time around either, but maybe my buttermilk was off?
Otherwise a great recipe! Thanks!
Melissa says
HI Sandra, Yay! So glad you loved it. 🙂 I’m not patient either and I always add the melted butter before it cools. I don’t think the buttermilk curdled, but when the warm butter hits the cold milk bits of butter will solidify. I haven’t really found it makes a difference with the end result, though. I haven’t tried it with the softened butter, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work as well. Thank you so much for writing!
Best,
Melissa
Tomba says
Family LOVED this bread, and has already asked for more. I used a mix of golden and dark raisins.
Melissa says
Yes, I know the feeling. My kids squeal with excitement when they see I’m making this. Always a good feeling!
Brad says
What size cast iron skillet do you use?
Melissa says
I use a 10″ skillet, but I think you can easily give or take an inch if you don’t have a 10″ skillet. Enjoy!
Susan says
I made this for St Patrick’s day and it was amazing! This will be a keeper for sure!
Melissa says
Thank you Susan! I’m so happy you loved it and thank you for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Melanie says
I have used this recipe every St. Patrick’s day for the past three years. It is acclaimed by family and friends as the best Irish soda bread they ever had.
Melissa says
Hi Melanie,
Aww, thanks for sharing that. I’m so happy it’s such a winning recipe for you!
Best,
Melissa
Louise says
Made this recipe for the first time this St. Patrick’s Day. it was a complete success! I baked it in my cast iron skillet, I am now on the lookout for a cast iron dutch oven!
Thank you for sharing, it made our celebration a bit sweeter!
Melissa says
You are very kind, Louise. Thank you for writing in and sharing how much you loved the bread. I’ve been baking it like crazy lately because you all make me have a craving for it constantly!
Janet says
Thank you for this delicious Irish soda bread recipe! I’ve followed a gluten free diet for approximately 6 years and haven’t found a soda bread recipe worthy of making a second time… until now. Wow, it is so yummy! Even my sister (who dislikes most GF food) went back for seconds and thirds! I couldn’t wait to eat it again today.
I baked it in my Grandmas’s cast iron skillet, which worked great, but the dough was incredibly sticky and tough to transfer from the bowl to the skillet. It was very much like the consistency of raw chocolate chip cookie dough, the non-GF kind. Any suggestions to make the dough less sticky next time?
Melissa says
Gosh, I hear you. I was so excited to discover that the bread I grew up and loved so dearly works perfectly using gluten free flour as well! That’s always a sweet victory, too, when non-gluten free guests are pleasantly surprised with how good something is!
When I make it, it doesn’t sound like it’s as sticky as that. It’s stickier than yeast bread dough, but not so much like a batter. Perhaps it’s the brand of gluten free flour you used? I always use Cup 4 Cup with this bread. I know the gluten free flours really differ with their blends.
Best,
Melissa
GeriAnn says
While kiving in the Chicago area I was able to purchase the best soda bread. It also was on the sweet side.
I moved 7 years ago, & have not found anywhere that makes one I like, and have tried several recipes on my own as well.
I came across this today & decided to
give it a try.
It is amazing! My new favorite for sure!
Melissa says
Oh my gosh, that is the best news ever! I love when you find the perfect recipe you’ve been looking for. So glad I can help!
Best,
Melissa
Danielle O'Brien says
Ever since I found this recipe I have been making this soda bread. I used to try different ones, but this is clearly the best as far as I am concerned! It is a simple recipe that is easy to make, and using a cast iron skillet just makes it even better for some reason!
It has now been quite a few years and I still make at least 6 or 7 each year. My friends and family look forward to it every year!!!
Melissa says
Although I don’t make corned beef a lot, I agree, this bread recipe gets used over and over again with our family too! And, I agree, cast iron is best!
Melissa
Gayle says
This turned out well for me. Dough was very wet and sticky and I was concerned that all the raisins hanging out on the outside would burn. They did not. I put this in a round cake pan and set timer for 50 minutes, and gave it another 5 or so at the end. It tirnred out well. Didn’t add more sugar or caraway seeds, kept it a bit more “pristine” . It goes together quickly and easily. I did mix with my hand. What a sticky mess that was. Not sure if I will do that again. 😏
Melissa says
Hello Gayle,
I always get worried about the raisins sticking out too! Sometimes I push them in a little with my finger, but you’re right, it turns out and and it all gets eaten!
The dough isn’t like a traditional yeast dough that is easier to work with. It can be a little sticky. It’s kind of in a no man’s land of being hard to finish stirring with a spoon, and too soft to knead. That’s why I do a little mixture of both, as you can see from the recipe video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best,
Melissa
Veronica says
3/15/19 followed receipe as printed but dough remaine too wet to form into flat ball! What did I do wrong??
Have made soda bread many times and the dougGoogleh was sticky but stiff enough to work with! HELP what to do??
Melissa says
Hi Veronica! What type of flour were you using? Regular or gluten free? I’m not sure why the dough wasn’t stiff, though, unless there was an error in the amount of liquid added. I make this with regular flour and gluten free and it’s gets very hard to stir and I have to finishing kind of kneading the flour in with my hands. Sorry it was a frustrating experience! How was it after it baked?
Best,
Melissa
Anthony says
Making ANOTHER batch this afternoon. This morning’s batch didn’t make it through lunch. It’s absolutely delicious and our children have a new favorite.
Melissa says
That’s incredible! I have to freeze the bread after our adequate share because my kids never stop asking for another piece either!
Best,
Melissa
Karen says
Thank you for recipe, I used half quick oats pulsed fine in food processor, added mixed dry ingredients and pulsed, then liquids and pulsed until all mixed. Threw in cranberries for a “quick” pulse. Baked in 9″ round cake for about 50 min. Looks delicious
Melissa says
Karen, thank you so much for writing. I love all those ideas and I’m going to do exactly that next time I make it. I LOVE using quick oats in baked goods and I think it would be a perfect addition to this bread!
Best,
Melissa
Kathy says
Made this bread a few times now. It is delicious. I’m making two loaves today, March 15th as we speak. Thanks for giving us the wonderful reciepe! 🦠☘️🍀
Melissa says
You are very welcome. I’m happy to share, what I believe, to be the best irish soda bread ever! Glad we feel the same about it 🙂
Melissa
CAROL V DUPONT says
Excellent!!!
Melissa says
Thank you, Carol. 100% agree with you!
Coleen says
This is the same recipe my mom uses. It is delicious and very moist. I like it better than the non-sweet versions.
Melissa says
oh my gosh, do I completely agree. When I tried “real” Irish soda bread, I almost spit it out! It definitely wasn’t as good as the version I grew up on.
Dorothy says
Now you have me thinking about what pan to use. Don’t want a flatbread. Going to make 4 I give them to my dinner guest at St Patrick’s dinner I do. Don’t know if it is late for an answer and also can I make two small out of 1 recipe?
Melissa says
Hi Dorothy, You can split this one recipe between two loaf pans, the smaller (a smaller 8″ bread pan would be ideal, but 9″ will work too). The time to cook them will probably not be as long, start checking at 45 minutes. Hope that helps and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Melissa
Liv says
Hello! This looks so delicious. I am curious if it is possible to freeze this bread?
Melissa says
A resounding yes! I freeze it all the time. It’s like a little present when I open the freezer. I let it cool completely, slice, then place in a freezer ziplock bags.
Liv says
Thanks!!! I’m making it for Thanksgiving!
Yvonne Smith says
I’m sure this bread is tasty and I definitely intend to give this recipe a try but you need to drop the “Irish” from the title and just call it soda bread, because no one in Ireland would add sugar to soda bread (unless it was made with white flour and currents, and that’s called curney bread). Irish soda bread is flour, buttermilk, bread soda and a pinch of salt, simple and tasty .
Melissa says
Hi Yvonne, Yes, you are right. Like I said in the post, I don’t think anyone in Ireland would consider this traditional Irish soda bread. I call it that because it’s just what my mom always referred to it as. I’ve never heard of curney bread, but perhaps that is what she got it confused with. I hope you do enjoy it!
Kristy says
I lived in Ireland for 18 months as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I can say that this is the best soda bread I’ve had. Did it taste like soda bread I was used to? No. Was it insanely delicious and promptly devoured? Yes, yes it was. I followed the recipe exactly as written. The dough was really sticky but a little flour on my hands did the trick. My only suggestion is to use the craisins infused with pomegranate juice. I saw them yesterday at the store and they were delicious. They’re even better than normal craisins. Thank you for this recipe, it’s a real keeper.
Melissa says
Hi Kristy, Thanks for writing! I am so happy you fell in love with this recipe. It really is like nothing I have tried before. I’m not even sure where the recipe came from. My mom always made it on St. Patrick’s Day and told us it was Irish Soda Bread. After trying authentic Irish Soda Bread, I realized the one I grew up with probably wasn’t, but this definitely tastes a whole lot better! How cool you got to live in Ireland as a missionary. What a wonderful opportunity!
Alyson says
Fantastic! Its become a family favorite and I make it all the time. Thank you!
Melissa says
That’s great! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. 🤗
Beth Heady says
I’ve been experimenting with different Irish soda bread recipes and couldn’t find one that was any good until this one! It is delicious! Exactly what I’ve been looking for. This recipe is a keeper! Will be making this many more times! Thank you!
Melissa says
I completely agree. I LOVE this bread. I know it’s probably not a “traditional” Irish soda bread, but I don’t care because it is SO MUCH BETTER than regular Irish soda bread. I always have such a hard time stop eating it.
Judy says
I made this recipe today and it tasted fabulous. However, it took close to an hour and a half for the center to get completely baked. Luckily, I’ve been baking for over 50 years so I was able to use a few tips I’ve learned over the years to get a lovely finished bread. Since I didn’t have a cast iron skillet, I used a 9 inch cake pan as suggested. The batter rose at least three inches higher than pan which is probably why the center took so long to completely bake. I was wondering if I should use a 10 inch pan or perhaps a loaf pan, so the batter will spread out rather than rise. As another thought, I was thinking I could divide the batter into two cake pans. Any thoughts on this since I will make this bread again? Thanks.
Melissa says
Hi Judy, Thanks for writing! I completely agree this bread varies on baking time, depending on how you bake it. Sometimes I just throw it on a baking sheet too, which would allow it to spread out a little more and not take as long to bake. Using gluten free flour also adds a bit of time to the baking. I haven’t tried putting it in loaf pans, but would be interested to find out how that turns out. I’d imagine you would need 2 larger size ones. I will amend the recipe so future bakers know times can vary, depending on how you bake it. In the future, since you don’t have a cast iron pan, just spray a cookie sheet and put the ball in the middle. I’ve made it like that a lot. Enjoy!
Judy says
Thanks, Melissa. Husband is still talking about how delicious the bread tasted. I will try baking on a baking sheet. I was afraid it would spread out flat. Of course, any way you slice it (excuse the pun), it will taste yummy.
Melissa says
There is so much baking powder and soda in the recipe, it really doesn’t spread out all that much. Follow up and let me know how it turns out for you that way.
This bread is definitely amazing and crazily addicting. I made some recently, thinking I’d freeze the rest for St. Paddy’s day, but the kids devoured it all.
Leona Morley says
I have also substituted yogurt for the buttermilk and found it was successful.
Melissa says
Great tip! Thanks for letting us know because I usually have yogurt on hand, but not buttermilk.
Rose says
I used my mixer with bread hook to mix and bread came out beautiful. Baked for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Perfect golden brown. Bread is delicious, great recipe followed it exactly.
Melissa says
That’s wonderful! Glad you enioyed it. 😊
Jan Battersby says
Jan says…….This was my first try at making soda bread. Made it for a St. Patricks Day Dinner of 12. One of my guests went back at least 6 times for more. Said it was the best. Since I had buttermilk left over, I’m making it again today to go with our homemade soup dinner. So00000……..obviously, we loved it also. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Melissa says
Jan, I feel for your guests. I can’t stop eating it either! I’m glad this recipe is getting some time outside of St. Patty’s Day. It deserves it! Thank you so much for writing and sharing how much you enjoyed it.
Nancy Leeder says
Made this for a neighborhood St. Patrick’s day party and got RAVE reviews. Any number of “best ever, get me the recipe” requests. I followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect. Didn’t have Buttermilk so used milk with lemon instead. It is EXTREMELY sticky but I had seen the warnings so just sprinkled a dusting of flour on the top to make it possible to get the knife to cut the slits. Also, since I didn’t have cast iron skillet, I used parchment paper and Pam in a 12″ spring form pan due to the warnings of it spreading. Again — it was PERFECT – spread to the sides but allowed it to rise enough to be pretty and round.
This is a GREAT recipe !!!
Melissa says
Nancy, that is good to know about the milk and lemon juice. When I made it this year my grocery store ran out of buttermilk, so I was going to try doing it that way. My mom ended up coming to my rescue with her extra buttermilk, but now I know you don’t have to have buttermilk stocked to make it. Thank you so much for writing and sharing your tips!
Cami says
Made this today.4 cups of flour were to much so I only added 3.Came out perfect!Wouldn’t try it with 4.
Melissa says
Hi Cami! Thanks for writing. My family has been making this bread for over 30 years, we have always used 4 cups, and it always turned out fabulous so I never questioned it. I haven’t made mine yet this year, though, so I’ll be interested to give it a taste test to see what it’s like with less flour. I’ll keep you guys posted!
Miriam - londonkitchendiaries.com says
I love the sound of the chewy crumb – will definitely give it a try!