Irish Soda Bread – The easiest bread you’ll ever make! Made with just flour, buttermilk, baking soda, and salt, this bread is chewy, dense, and addicting.

Man, I cannot believe how fast February flew by. It’s even crazier to think that spring is upon us. What?! I must admit, though – with all the rain we’ve been getting, it’s not all that shocking.

Before spring truly makes its arrival, we have one more holiday to celebrate – St. Patrick’s Day! I typically don’t go crazy for this holiday but I’m turning over a new leaf this year – or should I say, clover. I’ve got a bunch of new recipes that are perfect for the Irish celebration. Some sweet recipes, but also some savory ones.

Today’s recipe is an addictive one that is definitely on the savory side. When I make it, we can hardly wait for it to cool before diving in. And then we just keep on eating it for the next 24 hours until it’s all gone.

I present to you…Irish Soda Bread!

What is Irish soda bread?

Irish soda bread is a dense bread made with baking soda instead of yeast or baking powder. It reacts with the buttermilk to rise perfectly but also remains thick and dense on the inside, similar to a biscuit or shortcake. Because of it’s few ingredients and steps, it’s one of the easiest breads you’ll ever make.

How to make this bread

First, the dry ingredients are mixed together in a large bowl. Then, create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter milk. This will help us slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry without overworking the dough.

Using a spoon or your hands, you’ll fold the dry ingredients into the butter milk while rotating the bowl. Do this until the dough forms. If the dough is dry, add a little more buttermilk.

Finally, the dough is formed into a ball and placed on a baking sheet before it goes into a super hot oven. The high heat helps the bread rise quickly. After about 15 minutes, the heat is reduced to let the bread finish cooking without burning the outside.

Tips and Tricks

1. Make sure to form the dough into a small ball no larger than 7 inches. This ensures the loaf is tall enough and won’t be long and flat.
2. Don’t overcook the bread. Once it begins to brown on top, check the bottom of the bread to see how brown it is. If it’s golden brown, remove it from the oven.
3. Do not overwork the dough. The more you work with it, the tougher the dough becomes. Because this is an already dense bread, you don’t want it to be too tough or else it will be hard to eat.

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