It took clever thinking to write a recipe for this Irish soda bread, a family favorite (2024)

FAQs

Do the Irish really eat Irish soda bread? ›

Almost every family in Ireland has its own recipe for this delicious bread, hand-written on a slip of floury paper, or tucked away in an old cookbook. While its ingredients may be simple, soda bread is an Irish tradition that has led the country through some of its darkest times.

Contrary to a common misconceptions, the Irish did not import the Soda Bread recipe from the American Indians. This misconception is my fault because 30+ years ago on the original site I happened to mention Native Americans using Potash to make bread.

Irish soda bread is prepared without yeast. Traditionally it has just four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The baking soda and buttermilk react to cause the dough to rise.

Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

Serving the Irish Soda Bread

Although soda bread is ideal for serving at room temperature, it is better to serve it warm. The thick and cakey texture of the bread and warm temperature brings out its hearty flavors. If you can't have it fresh from the over at least have it toasted.

In Ireland, soda bread would be eaten at breakfast with tea, at lunch with cold meat or cheese, or at dinner with soup or stew or other main dishes. I think it's especially delicious with Dublin coddle or minestrone soup (totally not Irish, but still very delicious when paired with this filling, wonderful bread.

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

It depends on where in Ireland you are: Down South, where I live, it's called white soda bread (with only white flour) or brown soda bread (with brown and white flour) and are created as a cake of bread.

The slices are delicious simply spread with butter, jam, or marmalade. This bread can be toasted, too. Soda bread can be paired with any meal of the day. You can even bake it without the raisins to make a loaf to serve with savory dishes like soup, meat dishes, or to use for sandwiches.

People often ask if sourdough bread and soda bread are the same thing. The quick answer is no. While both sourdough and soda bread share some similarities, such as the lactic acid inside the bread, they both use different ingredients and processes – which also means they taste different, too.

Why does Irish soda bread not need yeast? ›

The Irishmen learned to adapt to this climate by growing soft wheat that is lower in gluten. The type of flour from this wheat is not compatible with the yeast to make the dough rise; thus, they use baking soda instead to make the famed Irish Soda Bread.

However, the bread's history in Ireland began more out of practical necessity than culinary fun. Though soda bread is now most commonly attributed to Ireland, the first people to use soda to leaven their bread was the American Indians.

Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.

Swing by your local bakery- cafe to pick up a celebratory loaf of Irish Soda Bread, made from our non-traditional recipe consisting of. buttermilk, currants, eggs and a hint of caraway.

It sometimes feels like in the United States, Irish soda bread is a special seasonal treat that proliferates in grocery stores and bakeries around St. Patrick's Day. But in Ireland, it's served year round at casual family gatherings. And now that you have this recipe, you too can have this bread year round.

In Ulster, the wholemeal variety is usually known as wheaten bread and is normally sweetened, while the term "soda bread" is restricted to the white savoury form. In the southern provinces of Ireland, the wholemeal variety is usually known as brown bread and is almost identical to the Ulster wheaten.