This traditional no yeast bread recipe is a crumbly dense bread with a slightly sweet taste. With only a few pantry and refrigerator, staples required this delicious Traditional Soda Bread can be made easily and is one everyone will enjoy.

Bread is a perfect pairing for just about any meal and sometimes it tastes even better if it’s easy to prepare like this buttery beer bread, no-knead bread, or even this southern cornbread.

Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish soda bread recipe is one of my very favorite bread recipes to prepare because of its simplicity and it’s also one my children enjoy making with me. It’s Aimee here, from Aimee Mars Living, and soda bread is common in our households.

This dense and unleavened bread is not only truly Irish it’s also made with simple pantry ingredients. Known as a table bread it’s one that can be eaten toasted with butter for breakfast, at lunch with cheese, or with dinner as a side to your main dish.

How to Make Traditional Soda Bread

1. Start by preheating your oven to 400ºF and prepping the baking sheet or pan you wish to use. If using a baking sheet line it with parchment or lightly coat a 9-10 inch cake pan or a cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl beat the egg and buttermilk together until combined.
3. Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
4. Using a pastry cutter cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it becomes crumbly.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until it forms into a dough. Stir in any add-ins.
6. Flour hands and a flat surface then lightly knead the dough for 1 minute before forming into a ball and placing onto the prepared pan or baking sheet.
7. Bake for 45 minutes until the crust becomes a golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Ingredients in Soda Bread

Most of the ingredients in soda bread are standard pantry staples, which is one of the reasons this bread is so easy to make. You can also add in many different extras for added flavor such as raisins or currants.

• Buttermilk
• Eggs
• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Butter
• Raisins or Currants (optional)

Other Add-ins for soda bread

• Dried Fruits such as pineapple, cranberries, or cherries.
• Shaved Coconut or Coconut Flakes
• Chocolate Chips
• Diced Bacon
• Shredded Cheese such as cheddar

What does traditional soda bread taste like?

Similar to biscuits, the flavor is subtle with slight hints of sweetness. This bread is not meant to be served alone, but with butter or jam. To add additional flavor to soda bread you can mix in some dried fruits such as currants, or even something sweet like chocolate chips.

Why is my soda bread crumbly?

Using too much flour and too little buttermilk can cause your bread to turn our more crumbly than it should be. Make sure to spoon and level the flour when measuring it to avoid this mixture mess up.

Why is my soda bread raw in the center?

There are a few reasons that cause soda bread to not fully cook leaving a raw center. The fixes are simple though.

• First, check your oven temperature. Chances are it could be too high. If you don’t have a thermometer to check the internal temperature of your oven then try lowering it. Place a loose tent of foil over the bread to avoid it from overcooking the outer later and continue cooking on the lower temperature so the middle can fully bake.
• Second, make sure you’re using the correct pan size. If your pan is too small and the dough ball too high it will take longer to cook.

How to store soda bread

Wrap the bread in plastic wrap, foil, or store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. It does not need to be refrigerated. This bread can also be stored in the freezer by covering it with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It will keep the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months.

Try some of these other bread recipes:

• Perfect Homemade Bread
• Focaccia Bread
• Italian Bread Twists
• Homemade Garlic Bread