Soda Bread is an Irish bread recipe that doesn't need yeast to rise. The bread is light and fluffy on the inside. While buttery and crunchy on the outside.
Trying to figure out how to make homemade bread when you can't find yeast? Soda Bread is the answer.
Soda Bread is a no yeast bread that relies on other ingredients to help the bread dough rise while baking.
Baking soda, baking powder, and apple cider vinegar are the ingredients that cause soda bread to rise in the oven.
Old Fashioned Recipes
I pulled out some of my trusty vintage cookbooks and blew off the dust to bring you this old fashioned Irish Soda Bread recipe today.
This particular old cookbook was published in 1984 by St. John Neumann Parish in Lancaster, Pennslyvania, in the heart of the Amish country.
The Irish Soda Bread recipe was submitted by Rose Gray. The church is still active. I hope one of Rose's family members come across this recipe with fond memories.
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This no yeast soda bread is crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside like a homemade biscuit.
The crust gets its delicious buttery crunch from brushing melted butter on the outside after it has baked.
Prep
- Prep preheat the oven to 375 F. degrees and grease a large cookie sheet with shortening or butter.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons shortening or butter
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
- In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
- Work the shortening or butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or your hands until pea-shaped pieces are throughout the four.
- Mix the buttermilk and apple cider vinegar in a cup and pour it into the dry ingredients.
- Use a stiff wooden spoon to mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Knead the dough a few times until it holds shape. Form the dough into a 7-inch round. Place the dough ball onto the greased baking sheet.
- With a sharp knife dipped into flour cut an X across the top of the dough.
- Bake the soda bread in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Brush the hot loaf of Soda bread with melted butter.
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Makes one 7 inch loaf of bread.
- 12 servings
Recipe FAQs
Soda bread tastes alike like a biscuit. Thick slices of this Irish bread are perfect served with a bowl of soup or stew.
Irish soda bread is delicious slathered with butter and topped with jam. It also is perfect served with soups and stews.
Soda bread is made with baking soda instead of yeast. Baking soda is used to leaven the bread instead of yeast.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Butter: No substitutions for butter when making any type of bread.
- Buttermilk: Use real butter milk to make this soda bread recipe. Buttermilk combined with the baking soda in this recipe helps with the bread rise. It also help make the bread soft and tender like a biscuit.
- Baking soda: Check the expiration on you baking soda before using it to make this recipe. The baking soda should be fresh so it is strong enough to help the soda bread rise.
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Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons shortening or butter
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. degrees and grease a large cookie sheet with shortening or butter.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
- Work the shortening or butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or your hands until pea-shaped pieces are throughout the four.
- Mix the buttermilk and apple cider vinegar in a cup and pour it into the dry ingredients.
- Use a stiff wooden spoon to mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Knead the dough a few times until it holds shape. Form the dough into a 7-inch round. Place the dough ball onto the greased baking sheet.
- With a sharp knife dipped into flour cut an X across the top of the dough.
- Bake the soda bread in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Brush the hot loaf of Soda bread with melted butter.
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Makes one 7 inch loaf of bread.
Video
Notes
- Butter: No substitutions for butter when making any type of bread.
- Buttermilk: Use real butter milk to make this soda bread recipe. Buttermilk combined with the baking soda in this recipe helps with the bread rise. It also help make the bread soft and tender like a biscuit.
- Baking soda: Check the expiration on you baking soda before using it to make this recipe. The baking soda should be fresh so it is strong enough to help the soda bread rise.
