March is here, spring is on the horizon, and we’re all looking for green… green grass, green leaves, and even the lucky 4-leaf green clover. Thus, it’s the month of green, especially for the Irish, thanks to St. Paddy’s Day! With that, this baking post is about as simple as it gets, a 4-ingredient Irish Soda Bread that is authentic, versatile, and very quick to make.
This recipe is all about the Irish, the Irish Soda Bread.
Well, that’s not entirely true. While we give credit to Ireland for the invention of what we know of as “Irish Soda Bread”, we actually need to thank the Native Americans for this creation. They were the first to use baking soda in baking bread in the late 1700s to make flat breads, notably the Indian Fry Bread. My apologies to Ireland, but we need to give credit where credit is due. However, we CAN give the Irish credit for making it popular around the world in its modern state.
Not the Irish Soda Bread you envisioned, is it?
My goal of baking the world has me looking for authentic recipes. The Irish Soda Bread recipe I selected for this bake only has 4 ingredients and is commonly eaten in southern Ireland. However, to make it a little indulgent, there are many modern mix-ins you can add to appeal to your preferred tastes and desires. See my recipe below for the options.
My American perspective of Irish Soda Bread is that it contains currants or raisins dotted throughout. Reality is, traditional Irish Soda Bread is very plain. It became a regular on the Irish table during the mid 1800s. Since then, it has been eaten on a daily basis. It doesn’t last long and is usually made every few days due to its very simple, limited, lack-of-preserving ingredients. The need for regular baking is the reason we don’t see it filled with indulgent ingredients.
Do the Irish eat what Americans consider Irish Soda Bread?
The short answer is “yes”. But, the modern Irish Soda Bread that many of us think of (well, at least those of us outside of Ireland) is referred to as “cake” in Ireland. It is more of a dessert bread and can include dried fruit, eggs, and caraway seeds among other ingredients. The Irish version speckled with currents is called “the spotted dog” in Ireland.
Why is the Irish Soda Bread named after an ingredient?
Why is baking soda such an important ingredient in this bread? It’s so strange that one small, seemingly minor ingredient is in the name of the bread! You know, I’m reminded that I tend to say “yeast rolls” when I talk about bread rolls, so I guess it’s not that weird after all. Baking soda actually acts as a yeast alternative providing that desirable lightness we expect in bread. The yeast-like texture is a result of the acid in the buttermilk reacting with the baking soda. This reaction causes a breakdown of ingredients similar to what yeast does with the gluten as it pushes air or gas between the fibers that results in a light bread.
Chemical equation for the reaction between baking soda and acetic acid in liquid form, i.e. water.
NaHCO3(s) + CH3COOH(l) → CO2(g) + H2O(l) + Na+(aq) + CH3COO–(aq)
What does this chemical equation really look like? Let’s make it concrete!
Think of the volcano experiment kids make for science class. They create a volcano looking-shaped structure that has a wide bottom with a narrow top. Baking soda is added, followed by a liquid acid like vinegar. Boom! You have a volcanic “explosion”. So, when the liquid acid hits the baking soda, a reaction occurs. That reaction causes a bubbling of soda to spew out of the volcano top similar to what occurs in the bread. That’s why yeast can be eliminated in this type of bread. In fact, many gluten-free bread and dessert bakes will call for apple cider vinegar and baking soda to elicit the same type of results, a light and tender crumb.
Why does the type of flour matter in traditional Irish Soda Bread?
While I used American-milled, all-purpose flour for this recipe, I have discovered that all-purpose flour milled in Ireland tends to be a soft wheat unlike the typical hard wheat flour milled in the United States. So, I imagine if we want to lighten up this recipe, we should use instead pastry flour or cake flour. In fact, I highly recommend the coveted White Lily all-purpose flour for those of you who live in the American south where it is readily available in your supermarkets. This flour is commonly known to be from soft wheat and would best replicate Irish flour. But, since I traded White Lily flour climate for a colder climate with a lack of humidity, I used a traditional all-purpose flour in this recipe. If I were to make this bread again, I would use cake flour.
Final thoughts for this 4-ingredient authentic & versatile Irish soda quick bread
As I examined the texture and density and Scott focused on flavors and comparisons, we discovered that a traditional Irish Soda Bread is reminiscent of a very large southern American biscuit. While the ingredients are less, the taste and crumb are much the same. On the plus, there’s very little kneading and no individualizing into small disks; place the whole loaf in the oven.
If you’re looking for a quick bread to make and have on the table in an hour from start to finish, this might be the one for you. If you want a little savory and sweet addition, see the recipe for those suggestions. Overall, we were happy with this bread. As simple, quick, and easy breads go, I recommend this one and most definitely will make it again, even outside of St. Patrick’s Day. 😊
Check out my video entitled “4-Ingredient Irish Soda Quick Bread: An Authentic, Versatile Irish Recipe” on making this bread with the individual steps and close up views of the process.
4-Ingredient Irish Soda Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour cake flour, pastry flour, or White Lily all-purpose is preferred for a lighter bread*
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1¼-2 cups buttermilk full-fat is preferred for a richer bread*
Optional Mix-ins (not to be used all at once)
- ½-1 cup Irish Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded or any cheese
- 1-2 tsp dried herbs chives, rosemary, or thyme
- 1 head roasted garlic, separated from skins and mashed
- 1 small onion, sliced and caramelized
- ½ cup dried fruit, chopped raisins, currants, dates, etc.
- ½-1 cup nuts, chopped pistachios or walnuts
- 2-3 tsp seeds caraway or shelled sunflower
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450˚F / 232˚C.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking soda to disperse ingredients throughout.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in 1¼ cups of buttermilk. Mix well with a spoon.
- Continue to mix using your hands and check the texture. If the dough is too dry, pour in another ¼ cup buttermilk. Continue to knead in the buttermilk and add another ¼ cup more, if needed. You should have a sticky dough; no flour left in the bowl.
- At this point, you can add / knead in additional mix-ins.
- Prepare a lightly floured surface with a little flour and scoop out the dough.
- Knead the dough only a few times to bring the dough together into a nice round shape. Careful not to overwork the dough; no gluten is being developed.
- Pat out the dough into 1½ inch thickness.
- Score the top of the dough into a criss-cross pattern ("x" shape) using a sharp floured knife. Then using your knife, add about 1-2 inch long slit on the top-center of each quarter to allow for steam to escape and the dough to rise.
- Place the round loaf on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, in a Dutch oven, or in a skillet.
- Bake the bread for 15 minutes at 450˚F / 232˚C.
- After 15 minutes, without opening the oven, set the temperature to 400˚F / 204˚C and bake for another 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, open the oven, turn the bread upside down and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Bread is done when the loaf is golden brown, crusty, and sounds hollow when tapped on the underside. A fail-safe method is to check the internal temperature using a thermometer which should read at least 190˚F / 88˚C.
- Eat immediately while hot and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Interested in other simple breads? Check out these recipes.
Interested in some kitchen tips?
Milk Substitute or Alternative
How to Bring Butter and Eggs to Room Temperature Quickly
Prepping and Storing Fresh Herbs
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