Bake Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day

Irish Soda Bread is an easy quick bread to fill the bread basket with. It mixes up effortlessly and bakes up beautifully.

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We are creatures of habit in these here parts. Once I find a theme meal that works for us, we tend to stick to it.

Tamales on Christmas, appetizers for New Years, and …. wait for it…. Irish Stew on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Neither my husband nor I care for corned beef, so we avoid that American ritual and go to something simple: a hearty beef stew.

Oh sometimes, we mix it up. I might make this Guinness Beef Stew. Or a Shepherd’s Pie. But we almost always have Irish Soda Bread and Dubliner Cheese.

My kids eagerly look forward to these side dishes. The Dubliner is a little bit of a splurge, but Costco usually has a fair price on it. 

The soda bread is super easy to mix up. It goes great with the Irish stew—and there are rarely leftovers.

What makes soda bread different?

Soda bread is different from regular bread in that it doesn’t use yeast. Instead, it is lightened by baking soda. Combined with the acid in the buttermilk, the baking soda creates small bubbles in the dough.

What does soda bread taste like?

Soda bread tastes a lot like a large biscuit. It’s not light and fluffy like yeasted bread, but has a tight crumb, dense texture, and a firm crust.

What is the best way to eat Irish soda bread?

Irish soda bread is delicious with butter or cheese. It’s also tasty for dunking in soups and stews.

How do you make Irish soda bread from scratch?

Irish soda bread is super simple to make!

1. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir in the oil and buttermilk. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it three or four turns.
5. Place the dough on the parchment and pat it into a 6-inch round.
6. Cut an x in the middle of the loaf.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. The crust will be brown and make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
8. Cool the bread before slicing.

Check out this video:

How to make this good and cheap:

You know I don’t typically want to make something if I can’t make it good as well as cheap. Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and butter can help keep the price down. 
• Buttermilk is one of the pricier ingredients in this recipe, and it rarely goes on sale. Consider making your own buttermilk to save money.
• Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy small bags of flour. I also have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill or VitaCost so that I always have baking supplies on hand.

How I make this recipe easy:

This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.

Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:

• stainless steel mixing bowls
• glass measuring cup
• Rubber spatula
• parchment paper 
• sheet pan 

If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!

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4.55 from 11 votes

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is an easy quick bread to fill the bread basket with. It mixes up effortlessly and bakes up beautifully.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Irish

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 157kcal

Author: Jessica Fisher

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ▢ 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ 2 tablespoon neutral oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. Add the oil and buttermilk. Stir until a sticky dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough lightly and shape into a 6-inch round. With a sharp knife, cut an X in the top of the dough.
• Place the round on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. The crust should be brown and will give a hollow sound when thumped.
• Enjoy warm with butter or a bit of cheese.

Video

Notes

To make as a mix: Take a large ziptop bag or container and label it with the wet ingredients and the baking instructions. Measure out the dry ingredients into the bag. Seal and store until ready to use.

Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

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*This recipe was originally posted on March 16, 2011. It’s been updated for content and clarity.