Irish brown soda bread is a beautiful, rustic loaf with a golden crust and subtle sweetness.
This traditional bread is easy to make and requires no rising time!
If you’re a beginner baker, you’ll love this easy recipe. And with St. Patrick’s Day coming up, now is the perfect time to try it!
What is Irish brown soda bread?
Irish soda bread is a rustic quick bread that relies on baking soda and buttermilk for leavening instead of yeast.
It has a dense but moist crumb and a subtle sweetness that comes from a small amount of sugar.
Brown soda bread gets its color from the incorporation of whole wheat flour.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour
- All purpose white flour
- Buttermilk
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
How to Make Brown Soda Bread
Combine the Dry Ingredients
Grab a mixing bowl and whisk all of your dry ingredients together – this is the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Combine the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and melted butter together.
Bring it all Together
Now, make a well in your dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well and use your hands to bring the flour into the center gradually.
This will form a loose, shaggy dough.
Form the Bread Dough
Dump the shaggy dough onto a work surface and knead it for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth ball of dough.
Then, place the dough ball into a baking dish. You can also use a pie plate or cast iron pan. (If you prefer a rectangular loaf, this recipe also works in a loaf pan).
Score the Dough
Press the dough ball down slightly so you have a disc shape.
Now, use a lame or sharp knife to score the bread. It’s traditional to create a deep cross in Irish brown bread, but you can score it any way you like.
Bake!
Brush the entire loaf with buttermilk. This will give it a beautiful crust. Now you’re ready to bake.
Watch how to make Irish Brown Soda Bread!
Serving Suggestions
1. With spreads. Spread a slice of your brown bread with softened butter, jam or peanut butter. It’s also delicious toasted!
2. For sandwiches. This hearty loaf provides great, sturdy slices of sandwich bread. Build your dream sandwich using your favorite deli meats, cheeses and veggies.
3. With cheese. Go full-blown Irish and enjoy your soda bread with slices of Dubliner cheese. They’re the perfect pairing!
4. With soup. Dip a hearty slice of soda bread in a warm bowl of soup for the ultimate comfort meal.
Variations
1. Add texture. Incorporate sunflower seeds, flax seeds or oats into the bread dough for a textural twist.
2. Make it fruity. Dried fruits like cranberries and raisins add a touch of sweetness to this rustic bread.
3. Try fresh herbs. Fresh rosemary is a great addition to this recipe, and smells amazing!
Storage Instructions
To store your Irish soda bread, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it into a large freezer bag. Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Your bread will stay fresh at room temperature for 4-5 days.
For longer storage, it freezes beautifully!
When you want to enjoy it again, allow the bread to thaw at room temperature. Then, pop it into a warm oven for 5 minutes for the best texture.
What is the difference between soda bread and brown bread?
Irish soda bread and brown bread are both quick breads that rely on baking soda and buttermilk for leavening.
Traditional Irish soda bread is made with white flour, while brown soda bread contains either all whole meal flour or a combination of white and wholemeal flour.
So the brown bread will be more dense, chewy and have more depth of flavor than traditional white soda bread.
When you try this brown soda bread recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more quick bread recipes, try these:
Irish Brown Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Coat a pie plate or 8×8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- In a separate bowl, stir buttermilk, egg and melted butter together.
- Make a well in the center of the bowl of flour mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the well. Use your hands to work the flour into the buttermilk until a loose dough forms.
- Dump the dough onto a work surface and bring the dough together into a ball. Place the dough ball into the prepared baking dish and flatten it slightly into a disc shape.
- Use a sharp knife to score the dough. Brush the top of the loaf with extra buttermilk.
- Bake for 50 minutes, until the exterior is golden brown. Cool in the baking dish for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until the bread reaches room temperature.
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