Simple Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Hearty, rustic, and ready in less than 1 hour, this simple Irish brown soda bread recipe is a must-try. No yeast, no kneading, just delicious homemade bread—perfect for beginner bakers! This wholesome, hearty bread pairs perfectly with soups, stews, or just butter.

Course Bread

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Irish Brown Soda Bread, Irish Brown Soda Bread Recipe, Irish Soda Bread, Irish Soda Bread Recipe, Simple Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly (plus more to grease the pan)
2 tablespoons honey
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat bran or oat bran
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large egg lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 375F and butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
Make the dough. Combine the butter and honey in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat bran, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir in the egg, then the butter/honey mixture, and then about half of the buttermilk. Gradually add just enough buttermilk so that a soft dough forms; be careful not to over-mix.
Bake. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula that has been dipped in water or buttermilk. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature before slicing.

Notes

Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 1 (9 by 5-inch) loaf of bread. Slice the bread into 10 slices, and each slice is 1 serving.
Storage: I recommend storing this bread wrapped well at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, it has the tendency to dry out.
Freezing: To freeze, slice this bread, flash freeze the slices, pop the frozen slices into a zip-top plastic freezer bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. I think this bread tastes best if it’s toasted after being frozen (and its convenient because you can toast it directly from frozen!).

Nutrition