This is an easy Irish soda bread recipe with a 5-minute preparation and no kneading skills required! This yeast-free dough is perfect for beginner bakers and busy families!
Soda bread (Irish: arán sóide) is a traditional Irish bread. The dough for this bread doesn’t use yeast, but bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) which is the rising agent here.
No mixer and no proofing are needed to make a loaf of this brown soda bread. It’s so easy that it makes a great baking project for kids as well.
It is a perfect choice for those who want to try and make homemade bread but are put off by the long process that needs to be followed for yeast based breads. This Irish soda bread is quick to make and tastes amazing!
We love this brown soda bread lightly toasted with butter and homemade preserves (Low Sugar Strawberry Jam is our favorite as well as Mixed Berry Jam).
But because it is not sweet, it goes also well with creamy soups like Zucchini Soup or Potato Leek Soup (which is so easy to make in a pressure cooker!).
How to make Irish soda bread
Wholemeal and all-purpose flour are combined with salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. I have a 4.25-quart (4-liter) Mason Cash Bowl (see the link below) that I love for making Irish brown soda bread.
It’s wide enough so you can form a dough easily by hands, without having to transfer it onto a worktop. Now that being said, if you end up with a softer dough, it will be easier to shape it into a loaf on a worktop rather than in a bowl.
Now, give all those 4 ingredients a good stir before you add buttermilk. Then, all you have to do is mix everything – start with a wooden spoon and finish it off with your hands.
You don’t need to knead it. You want to shape it into a loaf. Then, place it onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and brush the soda bread loaf with egg wash.
Baking should not take long – only about 30 minutes so you can easily make a loaf of this Irish soda bread on a weeknight.
Tips for making best Irish soda bread
- Buttermilk can be substituted with kefir or natural yogurt (for example, I sometimes use Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt to make this soda bread and you can’t taste any difference). The only difference will be in the dough – buttermilk is thinner so your dough will be softer, while yogurt/kefir dough will be harder.
- I used 2 cups of liquid for 4 cups of flour. If you feel that your dough is dry or hard, don’t be afraid add a little bit more liquid. This can be because a cup of flour never weighs the same and sometimes you might end up with adding more flour, while other time less.
- If you feel that you added too much liquid, you can knead in some flour.
- Baking time can vary slightly (every oven bakes differently), but count with about 25 minutes (at 400° Fahrenheit/200° Celsius). What you are looking for is nice golden brown top and if still not sure, you can turn the soda bread loaf upside down and tap it. It should make a hollow sound and the crust should be brown as well.
- Egg is only used to brush the surface of this brown soda bread before baking. This gives it nice golden color. However, you can omit it, if you prefer.
- Traditionally, you would make a cross with a knife on top of the loaf, but you don’t have to do it. It won’t change its taste.
If you like this Irish brown soda bread recipe, you might also like other Irish Recipes on our blog like Full Irish Breakfast or Irish Colcannon.
Note: This Irish Brown Soda Bread is an old post that has been updated with new photos and detailed instructions with lots of useful tips.
Check out our video for how to make Irish Brown Soda Bread:
Irish Brown Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (260 grams)
- 2 cups Wholemeal Flour (260 grams)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 cups Buttermilk , see note 1
- 1 Small Egg for brushing
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine both flours, salt and baking soda and give everything a good mix until well combined.
- Pour in buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour has absorbed all the liquid. Now, use your hands to form a dough. You can do this either in the bowl or by transferring the dough onto a floured worktop (if the dough is thicker, you might need to knead it to come together 2 or 3 times).
- Transfer the loaf onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and brush with egg wash (beaten egg).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius) for 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown on top and the bottom is hard (brown as well).
- When ready, take it out and let it cool down before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Buttermilk can be substituted with kefir or natural yogurt or unsweetened Greek yogurt. If your yogurt is thick, then you can mix it with regular milk to thin it out a little. You might need more/less liquid. This is because a cup of flour never weighs the same so sometimes you may end up with more flour while other time less. What you are after is dough that is not too thick (a thick loaf would be dry looking and hard to put together) nor too thin (you can’t form a loaf out of it as it spreads all over the baking sheet). That being said, this dough is quite forgiving so don’t worry about how it looks.
- Baking time can vary slightly. This will depend on your oven. I recommend placing the loaf onto the middle rack (avoid the top rack).
Vivian | stayaliveandcooking says
I love how easy this sounds! Your road trips seem great. I will definitely try this soon :)
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Vivian! Thanks for stopping by! We love road trips! :) Yes, the bread is very easy to make, let me know how it turned out for you, when you give it a go!
Ina says
I wat to try this. Sounds very simple. Can Irish soda bread be made with just plain flour?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Ina. You could use rye flour instead of wholemeal one. I am afraid, using plain flour only will change the bread’s texture and might not come out well. However, there are soda breads using plain flour but I think that those are kind of like sweet breads with sugar, butter… Hope this helps a bit. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
I’ve made one Irish Soda Bread this year, but it looks like it could be time for another! This sounds so rustic and hearty!
Erren says
This is perfect for beginners and it doesn’t take much time! It sounds so yummy too!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You are right, Erren! It’s fast, easy and delicious! :)
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
I have very fond memories of my friend Michelle’s mom’s soda bread. This looks just like it! And I LOVE the idea of using kefir. I also really enjoyed the photos of traditional baking. Can’t believe they baked in those pots over an open flame.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
I hope you’ll give it a go! Glad you like the photos. Yes, looks like they did! :)
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
How wonderful that you have that memory of Blenerville. Thank you for sharing your photos.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You are welcome! I felt like it was the right time and place to share those photos with others! :)
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy says
I’ve never made soda bread yet, but keep hearing awesome things about it! Pinning for a weekend project!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
It’s a great bread and soo easy to make! Let me know what you think!
fiona turro says
I cant believe there is finally an authentic soda bread recipe online!!! This is literally the exact recipe thats been in our family for generations. My Grannie in Ballinasloe, Ireland taught it to me when I was a child, and every time I visited her farm we would collect eggs from the hen house and make a loaf:) Im going to make one today, because oddly I actually have buttermilk on hand, lol. It was meant for a different recipe, but now I need a good soda bread. I hate raisins so dont include them, but most people seem to like it with them.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Fiona. Yes, this is the authentic soda bread without raisins. Truthfully, I’ve never seen raisins in this kind of soda bread when living in Ireland, only in scones. Your grannie reminds me of mine :). Happy baking!
Toni says
I really love that it is so easy to make!! Great to make for busy days!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
It is, isn’t it?
Kushigalu says
Love this version of soda bread. I will give this a try soon. Yum!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s good to hear :).
Jacqueline Debono says
I’m not great at making bread but this Irish brown soda bread sounds pretty easy. Going to give it a try!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Enjoy!
Kelly Anthony says
This is the perfect recipe for someone who doesn’t ever make homemade bread because it is easy and simple to make.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Absolutely!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Much easier than the light rye cobs my son and I made at the weekend, SO much kneading. Your soda bread looks heavenly. Sharing it.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
This is one of the easiest breads to make! Hope you give it a go!
Robyn Ong says
OMG, this was absolutely so easy and so so YUMMY!! I have made soda bread once but it turned out more like a giant scone, this is what I remember eating at my friend’s house in Ireland when visiting years ago. I have also bought Irish Soda bread from a bakery in Sydney and this is just a good if not better (without the big price!). So quick, the mixing and shaping was done in the time it took my oven to reach 200degrees, and probably know all oven can be different, it too a little longer (45 minutes). Thank you so much for the great receipe
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much for finding time to share your baking experience with our readers! I am so happy that you enjoyed the bread, Robyn. Yes, the baking time may vary – there are so many variables from oven, to the altitude, so it’s always good to adjust this, like you did.
Jack says
A tasty and hearty bread very close to what my mother used ro make. The only thing you might want to consider is adding a tablespoon of sugar to the mix it will balance the flavor with just a hint of sweetness.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Jack. Thank you for your comment. I worked in a bakery in Ireland, but don’t remember adding sugar to the dough. I guess, every family have their own way of making this easy loaf :)
Evelyn Cavanagh says
Just made it and it’s looking good😁
B says
Could I sub the flour mixes for bread mix or does that lose the uniqueness of this ???
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi B. I am not sure what a bread mix contains so I cannot tell. Check what flours does your mix have and what ratios and if they are similar, then I would probably give it a go. If the bread mix contains some other ingredients – like yeast, then it won’t work.
Trish H. says
I make this recipe all the time. It’s the only way my granny and aunties would make it and it’s how they taught me how to make it. All my family live in Ireland so this reminds me of my family when I make it.
It’s lovely with a nice cup of tea.
Cedric says
Great, easy, effortless recipe, and surprisingly good bread!
I used some “Lait Ribot”, fermented milk (instead of buttermilk), since it is much easier to find in France.
The obtained bread is very similar to the one I used to eat during my holidays in Ireland.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Glad to hear that Cedrid. Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback and rating! Happy Bread Making! :)
Austin says
Hi there, what is wholemeal flour? is it the same as whole wheat flour, I live in the USA.
Thanks
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Austin. Yes, they are the same. Sorry for the confusion!
Micheal O'Dalaigh says
Beautiful bread and very simple recipe, perfect just like you’d find in any Irish restaurant
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you for your feedback, Micheal!