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Irish soda bread with wedge cut away to see inside

Classic Irish Soda Bread

The easiest and quickest bread you’ll ever make! This classic Irish soda bread is ready to go into the oven within minutes as no yeast or proving is required!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Side Dish
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
  

  • 490 g plain white flour
  • 1 level tsp salt
  • 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 460 ml buttermilk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
  • To a large bowl add the plain flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Whisk to combine.
  • Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients as shown. 
  • Pour the buttermilk into the well and stir with a wooden spoon at first. As it gets more difficult to stir with the spoon use your hand instead to mix and press the dough together until a rough ball of dough is formed. The dough will be quite sticky. If too sticky to form a ball, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it looks as shown. 
  • Place the ball of dough onto your baking tray (either a silicon tray or one lined with baking paper/parchment).
  • Using a large sharp knife, cut down the centre horizontally and vertically to create four sections. Cut almost to the very bottom as shown. Don't worry, the sections will join together again as the loaf rises in the oven.
  • Dust the top of the loaf with some plain flour and then place in the preheated oven on the middle shelf for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and check that it is baked by carefully flipping over and tapping the base - it should sound hollow.
  • Place on a wire cooling rack. Soda bread is best eaten on the same day. I usually freeze any leftover wedges, double wrapping them in cling film. Then I take a wedge out an hour or so before needing it, and usually place in a warm oven so it tastes fresh again!
    uncut Irish soda bread loaf

Notes

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Keyword bread recipe, easy bread, irish soda bread, quick bread