This is a bread with no yeast that comes together in 10 minutes and can be on the table in under an hour. The crust bakes to a golden brown and you can cut it while still warm. Slightly sweet and buttery, it's a cousin to our traditional Irish soda bread, a family recipe.
Quick and easy
This raisin soda bread is the sweeter version of my popular 4-ingredient soda bread that went viral last year, a heritage recipe that hails from my very Irish great-grandmother.
So now you have three options to bake bread for St. Patrick's Day if we include the brown Irish bread with whole wheat flour.
A sweeter twist with raisins was needed as it's such a crowd-pleaser.
What makes Irish soda bread different? The absence of yeast and the fact that it uses only baking soda as a leavening (to make it rise) sets this bread apart. It should always be made with buttermilk or some other acidic ingredient to counteract the metallic flavor of the soda.
I have to report that this recipe today (no egg or baking powder) is phenomenal, even better for breakfast than the one mentioned above (I'm glad granny is not around to read this). It has a slight sweetness, so eating it toasted with butter and honey or jam in the morning is recommended.
I'm hesitant to label it a quick bread because the term usually refers to sweet ones made in a loaf pan, but this type of no-yeast bread comes together quickly and is out of the oven in 45 minutes, and you don't have to wait until it's completely cooled down to cut it. A winning situation from every angle if you ask me.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card toward the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
- Raisins: use any type (currants, dark raisins, golden raisins) but make sure they're seedless.
- Baking soda: a key ingredient, it's used as leavener to help the bread rise, so make sure it isn't expired.
- Buttermilk: makes the preparation tender and counteracts the metallic flavor of the baking soda. What if you don't have buttermilk? You can buy buttermilk powder and prepare it as you need to. Or make homemade buttermilk that is super easy.
- Butter: you can use salted or unsalted (my choice). If using the former, reduce the amount of salt given in the recipe.
- Flour: this bread turns out great with all-purpose flour, but bread flour can also be used. I sometimes mix cake flour with bread flour for a texture that is rustic but with a soft edge.
Steps to make soda bread
This easy bread is similar to a giant scone with less fat (butter) and more liquid (buttermilk). And the technique is pretty much the same.
Cold butter
Stir the dry ingredients in a large bowl and scatter the butter pieces on top.
Hands or pastry cutter?
Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's roughly the size of peas. You can use your hands or the dough blender (or pastry cutter).
Cold buttermilk
Add the raisins and mix until they're coated in flour. Pour almost all of the buttermilk, leaving a few tablespoons in case of adjustments.
Quick mix
Mix until no dry spots remain but do not beat. This is essential to the texture of the bread. I use a wooden spoon.
Light touch
Transfer to a floured surface, it will be very soft and wobbly. Dust flour on top of the dough.
Working quickly, fold the dough onto itself a few times until you can form a ball.
Top cuts
Transfer to the baking sheet. Then make a cross with a kitchen knife on top of the loaf cutting half an inch deep, no more.
Baking
Bake according to recipe card instructions and ensure the inside is fully baked. The crust will turn golden pretty fast but the inside will not necessarily be done.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Make sure the inside is fully baked before removing the bread. Use a tester or toothpick until it comes out clean, tap the bottom (it should sound hollow), or carefully lift the crust a little and check the crumb.
Testing note
If the cross on top is too deep, the baked bread will look great as in the image, but it will have too much crust in proportion to the crumb. You might like how it looks, but remember that this bread's crust is thick, and we want enough crumb to balance it.
Kitchen Notes
Organization: Read the recipe first and ensure you have the ingredients at the correct temperature, the utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
Baking time: Consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Cold ingredients: This is essential to make this bread work. So, keep butter and buttermilk in the refrigerator until the last minute. I put the butter pieces in the freezer for five minutes before adding them to the flour and sometimes the mixing bowl, too.
Light touch: don't overwork the dough when you're forming the ball, and don't knead it, at all, as that will result in a loaf of tough bread. It should have a rustic look both before and after going into the oven.
Hot oven: Since this recipe uses only baking soda as a leavener, it needs a hot oven initially for that first burst. Then, the oven temperature is lowered to let the interior bake fully.
Flour: You can substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour for some of the all-purpose flour.
Caraway seeds: This is another traditional add-in for this type of bread. They hint of anise or licorice with a sharp, peppery flavor. I sometimes add a teaspoon together with the raisins, but it's not a flavor for everyone.
Add-ins: Besides raisins, you can add caraway seeds (see above), a touch of cinnamon, citrus zest, or dried cranberries.
Freezing: You can keep it sliced and frozen for when you crave a warm or toasted piece. It keeps for a month.
Related recipes you might like:
One last thing
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Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
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Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup seedless raisins or currants
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Have ready a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.
- Stir together 4 cups flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl. It's important to sift the baking soda as it can get clumpy and it won't dissolve during baking.
- Scatter 4 tablespoons butter, cold and in small pieces, on top of the flour mixture and work them into it. You can use your hands or a pastry cutter. The butter should be roughly the size of peas. Don't overwork it, you want the butter to remain as cold as possible.
- Stir in ¾ cup seedless raisins or currants.
- Add 1 ¾ cups buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until it's all moistened. This should be quick, several strokes and that's it. We don't want to overwork the dough. If it's not enough liquid add a tablespoon or two more. If in doubt, use a tablespoon more than less. If the dough doesn't have enough liquid it will crumble too much when you cut it. Flour absorbs liquid differently depending on the type, the weather, etc. That's why we don't add the whole amount of buttermilk at once.
- Flour the counter and dump this shaggy mass. Sprinkle the top of the dough with extra flour and bring it all together, folding it quickly onto itself a few times, and forming it into a loose, rustic ball. It will be uneven. Don't be tempted to make it into a smooth ball; it's meant to be rustic and a bit flabby.
- Place it on the prepared pan (I help myself with a spatula or dough scraper).
- Slash the top of the bread with a sharp knife, making a cross pattern, cutting it about half-inch deep at most, and immediately put the pan in the preheated oven. Baking soda starts acting when you add liquid, so you want to start baking the bread as soon as possible.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350°F (180°C). Continue baking for 35 to 40 more minutes or until it's golden and firm to the touch. You can open it slightly, carefully lifting the top with a fork, and make sure it's completely baked inside because it turns golden after 20-30 minutes but, usually, the crumb inside is still raw, so make sure. If it's browning too quickly, cover the top with a piece of aluminum paper and keep baking it (I do this at about 25 minutes). Also, turn the bread over and tap the bottom with your knuckles; it should make a hollow sound when fully baked.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Eat warm or at room temperature. It's best eaten the same day it's baked (first few hours preferably).
- Freeze it sliced and well wrapped (first in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil) or in an airtight container and use it for morning toast.
Jacqueline Hanna says
Very easy recipe I’m making it in an oven from the 1930s. I’m sure it will be beautiful. Thank you so much.
Jacqueline Hanna says
Very easy recipe I’m making it in an oven from the 1930s. I’m sure it will be beautiful. Thank you so much.
Susan Kimball says
If you must have a good Irish Soda bread this is the one.. Never disappointed. Thanks.
Paula Montenegro says
Thank you Susan!