Irish Soda Bread

This Irish soda bread is a light and tender loaf studded with plenty of raisins and baked to golden brown perfection. A super easy quick bread recipe that pairs well with so many different main course options!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Irish

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 273kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting the work surface
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups raisins
1/4 cup butter cold, cut into small pieces
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 egg
cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 inch round pan with cooking spray.
Place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Add the butter to the bowl, and use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
Stir the raisins into the flour mixture.
Add the buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture and stir until a stiff dough forms.
Place the dough on a floured flat surface. Coat your hands in flour and shape the dough into a ball. The dough will be sticky.
Transfer the ball of dough to the prepared pan. Use a sharp knife to cut an X into the top of the loaf.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Video

Notes

I use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dough. If you don't have a pastry blender, two forks will do the job.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. Combine 2 cups of milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Let the milk sit for about 10 minutes or until the mixture looks curdled, then proceed with the recipe.

The dough will be sticky and soft. Use flour on your hands and on your work surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking and to form a nicely shaped loaf.

Nutrition