Traditional Irish Soda Bread | No Yeast Bread
Traditional Irish soda bread with a delicious buttermilk twist. Yes, please! This no yeast bread is perfect for St. Patty’s day, and well, every day for that matter. Unlike other yeastless breads, this recipe is not dense or dry, and takes only minutes to make.
Homemade bread. Does it get any better than this? Warm from the oven and lathered with homemade cultured butter makes everything right in the world.
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Not only is this traditional Irish soda bread perfect for St. Patty’s day, it is delicious enough to accompany any, and all, meals throughout the year.
Easy Soda Bread Recipe with a Slight Twist
Technically, traditional Irish soda bread does not contain butter, and only 4 ingredients. The basic ingredients were not fancy, just staple items found in about every Irish home.
The traditional yeastless bread recipe contained flour, buttermilk, salt, and baking soda. That’s it. Every once in awhile currents or raisin were added, but more times than not, the bread contained the four basic items.
Over time butter and eggs were add. Simply because many did not enjoy a dense bread. The buttermilk wash which is applied to the bread helps to ensure a perfect crusty bread is achieved.
St. Patrick’s Day or Any Day
It’s no secret that this soda bread recipe needs to be served with a delicious homemade corned beef brisket. And for dessert, anything containing my homemade Irish cream liquor recipe.
In truth, there’s something comforting about this meal. From home cured corned beef brisket to sipping on my easy Irish cream liquor recipe. It truly doesn’t get much better than this.
No way, no how.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread – Ingredients
A tip for working with no yeast breads, it is important to mix the dry ingredients before added the wet ingredients.
No Yeast Bread Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
- 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
Buttermilk Wash
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Equipment
A stand mixer simplifies the process, traditional soda bread can easily be hand kneaded.
- Stand mixer with bread hook
- Rubber spatula
- Pastry brush
- Cast iron Dutch oven, or enamel Dutch oven
- Parchment paper
Easy Soda Bread Recipe – Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt into the mixing bowl. Using the rubber spatula, gently mix the dry ingredients together.
- Next, add 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Using the bread hook attachment, mix the ingredients together on the low setting. Using the spatula, scrape any of the remaining ingredients into the dough ball.
- Continue to mix until a well formed dough ball is achieved.
- Lightly dust a flat surface with flour, knead the dough slightly. Shape into a round loaf of bread.
- Using a sharp knife, place an X onto the top of the loaf.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining melted butter and buttermilk to make a buttermilk wash.
- Line the Dutch oven with parchment paper, next add the dough ball.
- Brush loaf with the buttermilk wash. Continue to brush the loaf with the mixture while it bakes (roughly every 15 minutes).
- Bake in preheated oven covered for 50 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. The bread is done baking once the toothpick withdraws clean.
- For a crispy crust, remove the lid an bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the desired crispy goodness has been met.
Irish Buttermilk Soda Bread – Printable Recipe Card
For quick refrence, go ahead and print this recipe card. Or pin this recipe onto your Pinterest boards.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread | No Yeast Bread
Traditional Irish soda bread with a delicious buttermilk twist. This no yeast bread perfect for St. Patrick's Day, and well, every day for that matter.
Ingredients
No Yeast Bread Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons organic white sugar
- 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
- 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
Buttermilk Wash
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt into the mixing bowl. Using the rubber spatula, gently mix the dry ingredients together.
- Next, add 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Using the bread hook attachment, mix the ingredients together on the low setting. Using the spatula, scrape any of the remaining ingredients into the dough ball.
- Continue to mix until a well formed dough ball is achieved.
- Lightly dust a flat surface with flour, knead the dough slightly. Shape into a round loaf of bread.
- Using a sharp knife, place an X onto the top of the loaf.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining melted butter and buttermilk to make a buttermilk wash.
- Line the Dutch oven with parchment paper, next add the dough ball.
- Brush loaf with the buttermilk wash. Continue to brush the loaf with the mixture while it bakes (roughly every 15 minutes).
- Bake in preheated oven covered for 50 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. The bread is done baking once the toothpick withdraws clean.
- For a crispy crust, remove the lid an bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the desired crispy goodness has been met.
Notes
Equipment
Stand mixer with bread hook
Rubber spatula
Pastry brush
Cast iron Dutch oven, or enamel Dutch oven
Parchment paper
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Don’t forget, this homemade bread partners very well with comfort foods of all kind. Take a look at these 25 soup and stew recipes. Or for have it breakfast with homemade jam.
Homemade Irish soda bread is definitely worth trying!
If I don’t keep buttermilk on hand, can I use a ‘homemade’ buttermilk? ie – milk and lemon juice or vinegar, or yogurt and milk.
And…there’s aluminum in baking soda and baking powder?
You definitely can!