Irish Soda Bread
This vegetarian builds all-purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder into a comforting meal you can have ready in about 60 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and whisk. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 200 C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the cold butter cut into small cubes and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Beat the egg into the buttermilk, then pour it into the dry mixture and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, sticky dough comes together; do not overmix or the bread will be tough.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead briefly two or three times to bring it into a round, then shape it into a domed loaf about 18 cm wide and place it on the baking sheet.
- Cut a deep cross into the top with a floured knife to help it bake through evenly and to honor tradition.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the base, then cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
You'll use: Oven · Whisk · Baking sheet
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Irish Soda Bread take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Irish Soda Bread vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Irish Soda Bread is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Irish soda bread (25292114472).jpg by Jim Lukach, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.