Irish Soda Bread is an easy, delicious recipe to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Adriene Rathbun
·2 min read
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Originally a religious holiday, St. Patrick’s Day is now more commonly celebrated as a secular holiday filled with Irish foods and green beer. Hold the beer for me, and I’ll head straight for the corned beef, cabbage and this week’s recipe for Soda Bread.

My dear friend Leah makes this Soda Bread recipe, which is how I first tried it. She was searching for the perfect recipe, and her Bon Appetit magazine came with this loaf on the cover. The remarks below the title of the recipe say, “Might this be the ultimate soda bread recipe in all of Ireland?” That’s some high praise for a recipe.

This loaf is dense, slightly sweet and delicious. Spread some butter on a slice, or toast it slightly and add a bit of preserves. The loaf doesn’t last long, so share some with a friend. It would be a beautiful gift wrapped in parchment paper and tied with some baking twine.

Leah is Irish — her maiden name happens to be O’Callaghan — and she’s traveled to Ireland several times. Ireland is supposed to be gorgeous, and it’s on my list of places to go. Perhaps the people in Ireland will think I belong because of my red hair. I do have a bit of Irish blood, but it’s minimal.

However you celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day, I hope you enjoy it safely.

How to make Irish Soda Bread

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper.

Measure out the all-purpose and whole wheat flour. Whisk together in a medium-sized mixing bowl, along with the brown sugar and baking soda. Cut in the margarine or butter until it is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Add buttermilk and stir.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead it until it comes together. Shape the dough into a nine-inch round and place on the prepared baking sheet.

With a knife or other sharp blade, score an ‘X’ in the top of the dough.

Bake on the middle rack until the bread sounds hollow to the touch, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.