Warm, comforting, and bursting with flavor, this Irish Soda Bread with Raisins is incredibly easy to make.
No kneading or rising required, just a few minutes of mixing and you'll be on your way to enjoying this delicious rustic bread with its slightly sweet, subtly tangy flavor and chewy texture.
Why You'll Love This Soda Bread Recipe
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins is a timeless staple of Irish cuisine, perfect for enjoying on St. Patrick's Day or any day you crave a warm, comforting loaf. This traditional bread is known for its simple ingredients, easy preparation, and distinct flavor.
Unlike yeast-based breads, Irish soda bread relies on baking soda for leavening, resulting in a dense, yet slightly crumbly texture. The addition of raisins adds a touch of sweetness and chewy contrast, making each bite a delightful experience.
Enjoy it toasted with butter and jam, crumbled over a hearty stew, or simply savor its warm, rustic charm on its own.
- Simple and Easy: This stirs up with basic every day pantry ingredients and comes together in just minutes, making it perfect for beginner bakers or busy weeknights.
- Flavorful and Authentic: The combination of buttermilk, baking soda, and raisins creates a unique and authentic Irish soda bread flavor.
- Versatile: Enjoy it on its own, toasted with butter, or use it for sandwiches.
- Festive for St. Patrick's Day: This bread is a classic addition to any St. Patrick's Day celebration.
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Soda Bread Ingredients
Unlike yeast risen breads, Irish Soda Bread uses baking soda as its leavening agent, resulting in a quick and easy preparation.
Buttermilk, a key ingredient, adds a subtle tang and reacts with the baking soda for a characteristic rise.
The addition of raisins, while optional, provides bursts of sweetness and chewy texture. Soaking the raisins beforehand plumps them up and prevents them from drying out during baking, ensuring a delightful contrast in texture with the slightly crumbly bread.
This simple combination of ingredients creates a rustic and flavorful loaf that has been enjoyed for generations.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
You work quickly when cutting the butter into the flour. You can use softened butter and mix it with your hand, grated butter and toss to coat the butter, or use a pie crust cutter to cut it in.
Cut the Butter into the Flour
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Ready a 9" cast iron skillet or an oven proof Dutch oven. You'll need two sheets of parchment paper as well. Put the raisins in a small bowl and fill to cover with hot tap water so they can plump up.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Cut in the butter until completely mixed into a somewhat coarse textured, sandy mixture.
- Add 1 cup of the buttermilk, reserving the rest for later, drained raisins, and the egg to the flour. Mix the egg and butter milk together, adding the flour to the mixture as you stir. Continue mixing until the flour is completely blended in.
Form Into a Ball
- Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, folding the dough over about four time, and shape into a round loaf.
Cut The Top
- Lay the two pieces of parchment paper over each other in opposite directions and place the ball of dough in the middle.
- Using a long sharp knife, score the top of the dough with an X.
Bake Until Golden Brown
- Carefully lift the dough ball by the parchment paper and set into the Dutch oven, or in the cast iron skillet.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix the remaining buttermilk and melted butter. Brush the mixture the top of the scored soda bread with the mixture, being generous. You'll use about half of the mixture.
- Bake the bread for about 50 minutes, basting with the remaining buttermilk mixture halfway through the baking process.
- Allow the soda bread to cool before slicing or cutting into wedges and serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this quick and easy no knead bread.
- Raisins: Not a fan of raisins? You can omit them entirely or substitute with other dried fruits like cranberries, chopped dates, or dried cherries.
- Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- Sugar: For a sweeter bread, you can increase the sugar to 3 tablespoons.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this rustic bread recipe:
- Use room temperature ingredients for optimal results.
- Don't overmix the dough, as this can make the bread tough.
- Be gentle when shaping the loaf, as over handling can also make the bread dense.
- If the top of the bread starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy Irish Soda Bread with Raisins on its own, toasted with butter, or slathered with jam or honey. You can slice it thin and use it to make delicious sandwiches with ham, cheese, and mustard.
Serve it alongside a bowl of Irish stew or corned beef and cabbage for a complete St. Patrick's Day meal. For great recipes to serve your soda bread with, see our recipes below to create your own March 17th feast!
- Dutch Oven Corned Beef
- Air Fryer Cabbage
- Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup
- Blarney Stones Bars
- Irish Colcannon
- Traditional Irish Boxty Pancakes
Related Recipes
- Gluten-Free Soda Bread
- Cast Iron Chicken Pot Pie
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Preacher Cookies (Cow Chip Cookies)
- Homemade Blackberry Preserves Recipe
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making soda bread.
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Storage and Reheating
- Irish soda bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cutting an X on the top of the loaf allows steam to escape and helps it rise evenly.
Soaking the raisins for 15 minutes in warm water plumps them up and prevents them from drying out during baking.
Yes, but you will need to include a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per 1 cup of regular milk. Letting it sit for 5 minutes before using. Soda bread needs the acid that's in buttermilk to react with the soda for proper rising.
While you can substitute some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, keep in mind that this will result in a denser and heavier loaf.
More Delish Ideas
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
Ingredients
- 4 cup Flour all-purpose
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1¼ cup Buttermilk divided
- ½ cup Raisins plumped in warm water
- 1 large Egg
- ¼ cup Butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Ready a 9" cast iron skillet or an oven proof Dutch oven. You'll need two sheets of parchment paper as well. Place the raisins in a small bowl and fill to cover with hot tap water.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.4 cup Flour, 2 tablespoon Sugar, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 1 tablespoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ½ cup Raisins
- Cut the butter into the flour until completely mixed into a somewhat coarse textured, sandy mixture.½ cup Butter
- Add 1 cup of the buttermilk, reserving the rest for later, drained raisins, and the egg to the flour. Mix the egg and butter milk together, adding the flour to the mixture as you stir. Continue mixing until the flour is completely blended in.1¼ cup Buttermilk, 1 large Egg
- Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly, folding the dough over about four time, and shape into a round loaf.
- Lay the two pieces of parchment paper over each other in opposite directions and place the ball of dough in the middle.
- Using a long sharp knife, score a 1" deep X across the top of the dough. Carefully lift the dough ball by the parchment paper and set into the Dutch oven, or in the cast iron skillet.
- In a small bowl or cup, mix the remaining buttermilk and melted butter. Brush the mixture the top of the scored soda bread with the mixture, being generous. You'll use about half of the mixture.¼ cup Butter
- Bake the bread for about 50 minutes, basting with the remaining buttermilk mixture halfway through the baking process.
- Allow the soda bread to cool before slicing or cutting into wedges and serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for optimal results.
- Don't overmix the dough, as this can make the bread tough.
- Be gentle when shaping the loaf, as over handling can also make the bread dense.
- If the top of the bread starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.
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