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21 ratings

Recipe by Margaret Hickey

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1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
2. Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn't ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
3. Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices - or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.

Per slice

296 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 56g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 5g, salt 1.21 g

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Results 21-40

• Elisa

  16 September 2008

  Elisa rated and commented on this recipe

  

  It was very nice. A really good recipe.

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• casey

  24 September 2008

  casey commented on this recipe

  Also followed this to the letter, and it was awful, doughy and tasteless. Not at all like Irish soda bread. Wasted expensive ingredients.

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• Emma

  30 September 2008

  Emma rated and commented on this recipe

  

  I made this soda bread for my partner (who is Irish) as a St Patrick's Day treat when we were living in the UK and he was extremely impressed. We have since moved to Ireland and I have continued using this recipe serving it to all his Irish relatives and even to my neighbour (an 80 year old Irish lady who is a great traditional cook) and all of them have said how good the recipe is and have encouraged me to cook more.

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• tracy

  04 October 2008

  tracy commented on this recipe

  has anyone tried this with gluten free flour?

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• sorrento

  07 October 2008

  sorrento commented on this recipe

  Made this and it was so good i've passed it onto several friend's.When you mix the ingreadient's it's very wet.But once baked ,divine.Will make this again and again.No waiting for it to rise.I love it just with lashing's of best butter.thank's.

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• sophieew

  08 October 2008

  sophieew commented on this recipe

  my Irish Mother-in-Law uses Hazelnut Yoghurt instead of buttermilk.

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• Lozzers

  25 October 2008

  Lozzers rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Tastes great and a quick and easy loaf to make but I find that it does need much more flour than the recipe states as it always comes out very wet, I haven't yet managed to get it to a state where I could even think about kneading it, its usually more a case of getting it not sloppy enough to get it in approx the right shape on the tray - always tastes good though! My (Irish) mother always made soda bread with sour milk, today I soured some milk with lemon and used some soured cream I had left over too. Another tip is that you need a pretty big mixing bowl!!

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• susanecasey

  03 November 2008

  susanecasey commented on this recipe

  bread turned out very well unfortunately converted to canadian measurements and not sure it was right...didn't seem quite dry enough a batter but cooked perfectly...also keeps very well.

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• katrinamoss

  22 November 2008

  katrinamoss rated and commented on this recipe

  

  I make this every time I make homemade soup to dip in and make the soup go further. This is very filling bread, cheap and quick to make and feeds a family of five easily. I have never had success making soda bread until now. This is so moist and chewy and lovely toasted. I do use half milk and half natural yoghurt in place of the buttermilk as I usually have those ingredients to hand and it keeps the price down. Sometimes the mix turns out stickier than others, but I just slop it onto the baking sheet and bake it, and it still turns out lovely.

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• Ross Wynne

  29 November 2008

  Ross Wynne rated and commented on this recipe

  

  great soda bread. made a few and everybody i gave it too loved and asked for more. what more can i say. especially good with soup

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• Mark

  17 December 2008

  Mark commented on this recipe

  Made bread for the first time at the weekend. This is sooooooo easy! It tastes delicious warm with butter or dipped in soup.

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• susanecasey

  28 December 2008

  susanecasey commented on this recipe

  would love a version using Canadian measurements; I winged it and it was wonderful but one never does it the same way twice..maybe our flour is different

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• likethisfood

  13 January 2009

  likethisfood commented on this recipe

  instead of buttermilk - mix half milk and half natural yoghurt, it's just the same! going to try this on the weekend. an irish colleague was telling tales of her mum's soda bread - and a soda bread stew! hoping that a recipe for that pops up somewhere...

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• hayfaa

  24 February 2009

  hayfaa rated and commented on this recipe

  

  It's juse perfect! So easy to make and tastes so good! This is the first bread I've ever made in my life but it turned out so nicely! Very pleased! :-)

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• Yvonne

  18 March 2009

  Yvonne commented on this recipe

  I found this very wet, has anybody else? Should I cut down on the amount of buttermilk? Otherwise it is very tasty.

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• Tibulinnu

  20 March 2009

  Tibulinnu rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Very good!

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• sorrento

  22 March 2009

  sorrento commented on this recipe

  This recipe is devine.I make it every week and double it and freeze it.I also add carraway seeds sunflower seeds.This week I added apricots and pine nut's.Great with cheese.Then I did walnut's and raisin's with cinnamon.

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• Ruth

  26 March 2009

  Ruth rated and commented on this recipe

  

  used this recipe today - my first attempt at soda bread. Very easy to make and tasted gorgeous Highly recommended!

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• Fraggle

  28 March 2009

  Fraggle commented on this recipe

  This recipe is a lifesaver if you can't eat wheat and think the gluten free stuff in the shops is worse than eating soil ! I make this with any plain wheat/gluten free flour and it turns out fabulous. I tried Hugh Furry Whatshisname's recipe but was nowhere near as nice as this.

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• Neilshungry

  05 April 2009

  Neilshungry rated and commented on this recipe

  

  I could not believe how easy this was to make, and fantanstic results. A definite hit in my house. I will be making this again, and again and again.......Mmmmmmmm

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Ingredients

• 250g plain white flour
• 250g plain wholemeal flour
• 100g porridge oats
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 25g butter , cut in pieces
• 500ml buttermilk

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Difficulty and servings

Makes 1 loaf

Preparation and cooking times

Takes 45-55 minutes

(for up to 1 month)

Ingredients

• 250g plain white flour
• 250g plain wholemeal flour
• 100g porridge oats
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 25g butter , cut in pieces
• 500ml buttermilk

Per slice

296 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 56g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 5g, salt 1.21 g

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