Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk
This easy Irish soda bread with buttermilk is a traditional quick bread that’s soft, hearty, and ready in an hour. No yeast, no rising, just simple pantry ingredients and a golden crust with a tender crumb!
Ingredients
Bread:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 8 Tablespoons Kerrygold Irish Butter (can substitute for butter or margarine, slightly softened)
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
For Brushing on Top:
- ¼ cup butter , melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a skillet, pizza stone or baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together 4 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 8 Tablespoons butter with a pastry cutter or fork. Stir in 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and 1 egg.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands until the bread forms a ball. At this point you can cut the dough in half to make 2 smaller loaves or 1 large loaf. Press it down and round the edges and then cut an 'X' in the top of the loaf.
- For the brushing on top, combine the 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup buttermilk in a small bowl and then brush half of it on top of the loaf. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes clean, about 45-55 minutes. Brush remaining butter onto the soda bread half way during baking.
- Cool on baking rack and serve warm. This Irish soda bread is best served the first day.
Notes
This recipe makes 2 small loaves.
For a sweeter version, mix in 1 cup of raisins (or 1/2 cup into half of the loaf). Then sprinkle with sugar after brushing the top before baking.
This is best served the first day, however, it will keep for 2 to 3 days. It has a tendency to dry out pretty quickly, so just make sure to wrap it tightly with foil or plastic wrap and store it at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 224kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 143mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 315IU, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 1.6mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
