Irish Soda Bread
Bake traditional Irish soda bread with this wonderful recipe. Perfect for any occasion, try it today and enjoy fresh, homemade goodness in every bite.
Servings: 1 loaf
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Bread Cloche or Large Skillet
- Whisk or Danish Dough Whisk
- Serrated Knife Large
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ Cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 ¾ Cups whole wheat flour spooned and leveled
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda heaped
- 1 Teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 1 ½ Cups buttermilk plus 1 Tablespoon to glaze
- 2 Tablespoons rolled oats optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Line the bottom of a Dutch oven, bread cloche or cast iron skillet with parchment paper. Ready a deep baking pan on the lowest shelf of your oven - you will use this later to incorporate steam in your oven.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flours, baking soda and salt. Use a regular or Danish whisk to give the ingredients a good mix so that they are aerated and fully combined.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.
- Use the whisk or a wooden spoon to mix the buttermilk into the dry ingredients. The ingredients will naturally pull away from the sides and bottom of the bowl and form a shaggy ball of sticky dough. The mixing process should be brief. Stop mixing as soon as the ingredients are combined and don’t mix further.
- Boil a kettle.
- Generously flour your work surface and turn the dough out on to it. Sprinkle some flour on your hands and on top of the dough. Use your hands to form the dough into a smoother and more even ball shape. Don’t knead the dough.
- Sprinkle some flour on the parchment paper you prepared earlier then transfer your dough on to it.
- Use a large, serrated knife to cut a deep cross into the top of the dough ball.
- Brush the top of the dough with a tablespoon of buttermilk then sprinkle over the oats if using.
- Place the Dutch oven into the oven on the middle shelf and put the lid on. Carefully fill the deep baking pan you readied earlier halfway with boiling water and immediately shut the oven door.
- Bake for 20 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 390ºF and bake uncovered for a further 25 minutes.
- If you have an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread should be 212ºF. The bread will be dark golden brown and should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for one hour before cutting into thick slices and serving.
Notes
Cover the bread: Cover the bread for the first 20 minutes of baking as this helps to trap any steam and will form a really good crust. If you don’t have anything suitable with a lid, you could cover the bread with a large upturned baking pan or some aluminum foil instead.
Add steam: The baking pan with boiling water creates an initial burst of steam that will greatly improve the texture of your bread. You can skip this step if you want to as it is not essential.
The dough should be sticky: The dough appearance will be shaggy and sticky to the touch. Don't be tempted to add more flour. This is a sticky dough that doesn't feel nice to work with but do your best to shape it as best you can. I flour my hands and the top of the bread to prevent sticking.
Don't overwork it: Avoid over-working the dough and avoid kneading it into shape. You don't want the gluten to get tight so it’s really best to handle the bread as little as possible.
Ensure a dark crust: Uncovering the dough for the last 25 minutes of baking time will give your bread a lovely dark brown crust.
Add steam: The baking pan with boiling water creates an initial burst of steam that will greatly improve the texture of your bread. You can skip this step if you want to as it is not essential.
The dough should be sticky: The dough appearance will be shaggy and sticky to the touch. Don't be tempted to add more flour. This is a sticky dough that doesn't feel nice to work with but do your best to shape it as best you can. I flour my hands and the top of the bread to prevent sticking.
Don't overwork it: Avoid over-working the dough and avoid kneading it into shape. You don't want the gluten to get tight so it’s really best to handle the bread as little as possible.
Ensure a dark crust: Uncovering the dough for the last 25 minutes of baking time will give your bread a lovely dark brown crust.
Nutrition
Calories: 1779kcal | Carbohydrates: 344g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1482mg | Potassium: 1526mg | Fiber: 30g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Calcium: 524mg | Iron: 18mg
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