How To Make Irish Brown Soda Bread Recipe
Traditional Irish Soda bread is a simple, yet delicious, recipe that has been passed down through generations. Made with just four ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk – it is a quick and easy bread to prepare.
Soda bread gets its name from the baking soda that is used as a leavening agent, and it was originally developed as a way to use up buttermilk that had gone sour.
The first Soda bread was likely made in the early 1800s, and it quickly became a staple of the Irish diet. Today, Soda bread is still enjoyed by many, and it can be found on tablecloth all over Ireland. So, if you’re ever in the mood for a delicious slice of Soda bread, be sure to give this traditional recipe a try.
Irish Brown Soda Bread Recipe. So Quick and Easy and So Tasty.
I just love this Irish Brown Soda Bread recipe. It always brings a smile to my family’s face when they tuck into a nice warm slice of Brown Soda Bread covered with delicious creamy Irish butter.
Soda Bread has been baked in Irish houses for decades
This recipe is so easy to whip together and bake. There is no messing about with machines. No straining yourself to knead the bread and very little clean up afterwards.
If you don’t believe how easy this is I’ll tell you how fast I made this batch for my blog.
Irish brown Soda Bread Recipe
At the moment my wife is currently sitting her Masters Degree in Primary Education. Since she is up the walls with assignments and such, I have been helping out collecting the kids, cooking and other odds and ends.
Yesterday I had to pick my five year old daughter up from school while my wife was finishing off one of her assignments.
About 20 minutes before I was due to leave I remembered I had promised my daughter I would make her some Irish brown soda bread for her lunch when she got home.
Most people would think, 20 minutes is not enough time to whip together a brown soda bread, but it is.
I stuck my oven on to preheat and while that was preheating I whipped up this tradition Irish Brown Soda Bread recipe that all my family love.
Just as the dough was ready the oven had finished preheating and I popped it in and asked my wife to keep an eye on it while I left.
The recipe normally takes about 45 minutes to bake and this was the same time it took me to collect my daughter and get home.
Once I got home the brown soda bread was almost done, it needed an extra five minutes to make sure it was fully baked.
You see it’s that simple and easy to make. You don’t need loads of time or equipment to enjoy this fantastic Brown Irish Soda Bread recipe.
Why not try this recipe along with my Irish Cheddar Cheese Toastie recipe. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it brings smiles to your family’s faces too.
Cheers.

A fantastic tasting and easy Irish Brown Soda bread. Make this for your family and friends and you will always put a smile on their face.
- 225 grams Brown Wholemeal Flour
- 225 grams Plain White Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Bread Soda
- 400 ml Buttermilk
-
Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 3
-
In a large bowl add the wholemeal flour and then sift in the plain white flour and bread soda.
-
Add salt into flour and make well in the center of the dry mix
-
Pour in most of the buttermilk, keeping back a small amount
-
Make a claw shape with the fingers of your hand and mix all ingredients in a circular motion until combined (alternatively use a wooden spoon). You should end up with a sticky dough which is not too dry or too wet. If the mixture is too dry add the remaining buttermilk
-
Clean your hands if using and turn your dough into a lightly buttered/oiled bread tin and press down with the back of your hand.
-
Lightly brush the top of the bread with some buttermilk and top with rolled porridge oats or pinhead oatmeal if you wish.
-
Bake in the center of your preheated oven for 45 mins. To check if done insert a skewer or knife to test. This should come out of the bread clean. If sticky put back in for another 5 mins then retest.
-
When baked turn bread out onto a cooling rack upside down to keep a crispy crust. If you prefer a less crispy crust wrap the bread in a clean tea towel for a softer, chewier crust.
-
Enjoy topped with delicious and creamy Irish butter while warm. You just can't beat that.
To make this bread a richer golden brown in colour and add a little bit of extra flavour add 2 tbsp of honey or treacle.
Allergens: Contains Gluten, Milk
This recipe is for 7 people.
Two slices of soda bread comes in at 256 kcal.