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Irish Brown Soda Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Emily Koch
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 1x
  • Category: Side, Appetizer, Breakfast, 10 ingredients or less, one pan, easy baking
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: vegetarian, baking
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Irish brown soda bread is so easy to make. No rise time, or kneading required. It only uses 6 simple ingredients. It’s crusty, hearty, and perfect for spreading with butter, or for soaking up soups or stews.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 3/4 cup buttermilk, or more, as needed (see notes)
  • 1 egg, room temp

Optional toppings

  • salted butter (I highly recommend Irish butter)
  • jam, or fruit preserves

 

Instructions

  1. Prepare: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Dust the center of a large baking sheet with a bit of the whole wheat flour – set aside.
  2. Mix together the dry ingredients: To a large mixing bowl add the whole wheat flour all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt – mix everything together until it’s well combined. Use your spatula, or the back of a spoon to create a “well” in the mixture.
  3. Mix together the wet ingredients: Measure out the buttermilk in a wet measuring jug, add the egg, use a fork, or small whisk to whisk the egg into the buttermilk, until well combined. At this time sprinkle  small amount of the whole wheat flour onto a clean work surface, and place the prepared baking sheet next to it.
  4. Combine: Pour the buttermilk and egg mixture into the well of the dry ingredients. Either use a rubber spatula, or your clean hand to slowly combine the wet into the dry, just until all the flour is well moistened and the mixture has formed a ball. If the mixture looks too dry, stir in an extra tablespoon or two of the buttermilk. This can depend on the dryness in your atmosphere.
  5. Shape the dough: Turn the dough out onto your clean, and floured work surface. Use your hands to very slightly knead the dough, about twice, just so it comes together (no need to knead the dough more than once or twice). Then, shape the dough into a mounded circle -it’s okay if it looks rustic. Carefully transfer the dough onto the floured baking sheet.
  6. Bless the dough: A loaf of traditional Irish soda bread has a “x”, or a cross cut into the dough – this is called “blessing the bread”. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut a deep cross into the dough.
  7. Brush with leftover buttermilk: Use a pastry brush, or your hand to get the last bits of the buttermilk/egg mixture out of the measuring cup, and onto the top of the bread. This helps to brown the top of the bread without needing to crack open a new egg.
  8. Bake: Transfer the loaf to the preheated oven. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes. Note: don’t open the oven during the baking process. It will release steam from the oven and not allow for a crispy crust.
  9. Cool: Once the bread has cooled enough to handle transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing it.
  10. Serve: Enjoy slices of the bread with a generous amount of salted butter spread on top. It’s also great spared with butter and jam, or fruit preserves for breakfast. This bread is delicious as is, but it’s also great served with  soups and stews for dipping. Try serving it with my Irish beef stew for a full Irish meal. The bread is good leftover for up to 3 days, but it is at it’s best the day it is baked.
  11. Store: To store any leftover bread, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then stick that in a large ziplock bag, pushing out as much air as you can. Store the bread on the counter (the fridge makes it soggy). It’s best slice the bread just before serving, to prevent the slices from drying out.

Notes

buttermilk: You can make a faux buttermilk by using any kind of milk you want (even a non-dairy milk), and adding 1 1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar, or lemon juice to the milk you’re using. Give it a stir and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. The milk will curdle slightly, and the acid in the mixture is what’s going to react to the baking soda and allow the bread to rise in the oven.

Dairy free: To make this recipe dairy free use the faux buttermilk recipe above using a non-dairy milk. Be sure to use vegan butter to top your slices with, instead of regular butter.

Gluten free: There is not a gluten free substitution for this exact recipe. However, I do have separate recipe for a gluten free brown soda bread using Bob’s Red Mill gluten free hearty whole grain mix. Let me know if you give that recipe a try.

Recipe adapted from: Bigger Bolder Baking, and  Irish Food & Cooking 

Find it online: https://robustrecipes.com/irish-brown-soda-bread/

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