Traditional Irish Soda Bread: The Real Deal

Growing up in Ireland, I lived on the ubiquitous and ever popular Irish Soda Bread. More a meal than anything else, soda bread is proof that great things can come from simple ingredients.

Soda Bread is not an ancient Irish recipe contrary to what people like to believe and Bicarbonate of Soda (what Americans think of as “baking soda”) was introduced to Ireland in the 1840s. Early versions of an American Colonial Soda Bread were leavened with potash (a forerunner of Baking Soda). 

Soda Bread is an everyday fixture of many Irish kitchens and not a special occasion bread though it is treated as such by some people on Saint Patrick’s day. It is economical and quick to make as this early recipe shows.

There are two main types of Soda Bread: Brown and White. Both types make a dense, flavorful bread perfect for daily fare such as stews, sandwiches, and snacks. It’s wonderful with smoked salmon and with cheese too. A slice of warm bread with lashings of butter and jam is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee depending on your preference. In fact, some people seemed to believe that a good bread even made for a good marriage.

My personal favorite is Brown Soda Bread. I’ve made the recipe (below) for years,and the batch size can be doubled as needed.

Traditionally, soda bread does not have sugar, fruit, or caraway seeds. The bread itself is delicious without any additional flourishes, though sometimes I will make a loaf with dried cranberries. I’ve found, though, that those loaves never seem to be finished whereas the traditional loaf seems to disappear quickly.

Brown Soda Bread

• 3 cups of wholewheat flour (sprouted or not)

• 1 cup of white flour

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 and a half teaspoons of baking soda

• 14 ounces of buttermilk added gradually

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

• Grease and flour a dutch oven or a pair of same size cake pans.

• Sift the dry ingredients together.

• Add the buttermilk and form the contents into a large, sticky loaf.

• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured area and knead lightly, forcing the dough into a rounded loaf.

• Place the dough in one of the pans and with a floured knife, cut the bread in quarters to the depth of a half inch to form the shape of a cross. This is supposed to keep the devil at bay.

• Place the other greased pan on the top of the pan with the dough (or out the lid on the dutch over) and slide gently into the oven.

• Bake for 30 minutes.

• After thirty minutes, remove the lid and cook an additional fifteen minutes.

• Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before turning it out of the pan. A cooked bread makes a hollow sound when tapped on the underside.

• Wrap the bread in a clean tea towel and sprinkle with water to keep it moist.

• Slice when cool for best results.

White Soda Bread

• 4 cups white flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 14 ounces of buttermilk

Follow all the same instructions above.

Note: An effective short cut is to make the dough a little wetter and drop it into the pan like a giant drop cookie. Like teenagers searching for trouble, it’ll find its way to the right shape, though the dough will be too damp for cutting so you can skip the cross. However, if you are plagued by demons later, you’ve only yourself to blame and should sprinkle the loaf with Holy Water before wrapping it in a clean tea towel.

Should you choose to add fruit to your bread, soak it first in hot tea, or, even better, hot tea and Irish Whiskey. This will prevent the fruit from drawing moisture from the bread. If the bread is too damp and sticks to your fingers like a leprechaun clings to his gold, add more flour and knead gently.

For larger batches, check the center of the loaf with a toothpick before moving it from the oven. If the loaf is done, the toothpick will come out clean.