Irish Soda Bread isn’t just for St. Patrick’s Day: We love this quick and easy bread without yeast year round!
I’m usually quite snobbish about traditional recipes – raisins and egg in soda bread?? No way! (Because then it’s technically called a tea cake, or a spotted dog!) But I tried altering my “normal” soda bread recipe… and yes, it’s delicious. And just like my Shepherd’s Pie has the choice of making it with lamb or beef (because nobody outside of the commonwealth knows there’s a difference…), this is now a Soda Bread with Raisins. Or were you searching for “Spotted Dog”? See 😉
I now make this raisin version all the time – because I love a good raisin bread, and a good homemade bread… And am mostly terrible at planning ahead far enough for a yeasted bread these days 🙈😉 So, here’s my new favorite bread recipe!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Buttermilk: This recipe absolutely needs the acidity from the buttermilk. If you don’t have any, you can either use ¼ cup plain yogurt and ½ cup regular milk, or ¾ cup regular milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar stirred in.
- Butter: It’s important to use butter cold from the fridge for the recipe to work correctly. Margarine can be used in place of the butter, but it must be stick margarine. A spread will not work.
- Raisins: I sometimes use dried cranberries in place of the raisin, or chopped dried apricots. Both taste delicious and are a nice variation!
- Baking powder and baking soda: Please use the amounts of baking powder and baking soda the recipe calls for. This is the only leavening in the bread, and it’s important to use both baking powder and baking soda for the bread to come out correctly.
Full recipe video
How to make Irish Soda Bread
1 Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cold, diced butter.
2 Rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until you have a bowl filled with tiny crumbs. Add raisins to the bowl and stir in well.
3 Whisk together the buttermilk and egg in a separate measuring jug, then pour into the bowl with the flour.
Stir with a wooden spoon just until no more dry flour is visible. Tip the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead 3-4 times. Shape into a ball.
4 Place on a lined, lightly floured baking sheet. Lightly dust the top of the bread with flour, then cut a deep cross across the bread (cut almost completely through the bread!).
Then bake until golden on the outside and baked through on the inside. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing. Done!
Recipe tips
- The most important parts of any traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe are definitely to not overwork the dough,
- and to make those cross-cuts deep enough. Don’t worry about cutting the bread apart entirely! It’s actually worse to cut into the bread too little, so make sure you do almost cut it apart. This is so the dense dough can cook all the way in the middle – and according to Irish tradition, it’s to let the devil out 😉
- And finally… Definitely try a slice while the bread is still a bit warm 🍀
Storage tips
Soda bread is definitely best eating shortly after it comes out of the oven, at least on the same day it is baked.
If you have leftovers, keep them wrapped in a clean kitchen towel on the counter for up to an additional day.
More Irish recipes
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups white flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold butter
- ¾ cup raisins
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Prep: Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment or a silicone mat. Lightly flour.
- Combine dry ingredients: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add butter: Cut cold butter into ry ingredients until mixture resembles sand.
- Add raisins and wet ingredients: Stir raisins into flour mixture. Whisk egg and buttermilk together in a separate measuring jug. Pour over flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.
- Shape bread: Tip dough on a lightly floured work surface, knead 2-3 times (do not overwork!), then shape into a ball. Place bread on the prepared baking sheet. Slice crosswise, deeply, almost cutting through the entire bread.
- Bake bread: Bake 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bread is golden-brown. Cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Buttermilk: This recipe absolutely needs the acidity from the buttermilk. If you don’t have any, you can either use ¼ cup plain yogurt and ½ cup regular milk, or ¾ cup regular milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar stirred in.
- Butter: It’s important to use butter cold from the fridge for the recipe to work correctly. Margarine can be used in place of the butter, but it must be stick margarine. A spread will not work.
- Raisins: I sometimes use dried cranberries in place of the raisin, or chopped dried apricots. Both taste delicious and are a nice variation!
- Baking powder and baking soda: Please use the amounts of baking powder and baking soda the recipe calls for. This is the only leavening in the bread, and it’s important to use both baking powder and baking soda for the bread to come out correctly.
Recipe tips
- The most important parts of any traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe are definitely to not overwork the dough,
- and to make those cross-cuts deep enough. Don’t worry about cutting the bread apart entirely! It’s actually worse to cut into the bread too little, so make sure you do almost cut it apart. This is so the dense dough can cook all the way in the middle.
- And finally… Definitely try a slice while the bread is still a bit warm 😉🍀
Storage tips
Soda bread is definitely best eating shortly after it comes out of the oven, at least on the same day it is baked. If you have leftovers, keep them wrapped in a clean kitchen towel on the counter for up to an additional day.Nutrition
More recipe information
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Recipe first published on 03/11/2020. Updated on 02/23/2021.
Mary Gaffney says
I make almost an identical recipe from my Nan, she was from Co.Cavan. difference is hers uses only 2 1/2 cup of flour. Much more satisfying ratio. The more flour seems to make the bread too solid. Its a good recipe though. Plus you will need to go in with your hands, mixing with a spoon won’t cut it.
Nora says
Mary, thank you so much for sharing! I will need to try the recipe with 2.5 cups flour the next time I make it, I’m curious how it will turn out!
Barb says
Came outgreat, really delicious, family ate it within 5mins lol