Baking | Bread Recipes | Irish Recipes | Quick Breads | RECIPES | St. Patrick's Day
ByStephanie Wilson
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Traditional Brown Irish Soda Bread is a classic quick bread that has stood the test of time. It’s simple and quick to make, perfect for Irish stew or Dublin Coddle… or daily baking. Containing only 4 ingredients, it’s a healthy and authentic way to enjoy Irish food.
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When I mentioned that Brown Irish Soda Bread has stood the test of time. I meant that, literally. The first recorded version of this bread appeared more than 185 years ago.
And it’s a classic bread I never celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without.
While food trends come and go and appetites change, one should always save room for classic traditions. Much like Irish Brown Bread.
“I think for a while Irish people were seduced by the lushness of white yeast breads,” says Emer Fallon, a County Kerry Irish chef, “but there’s been a huge swing back to our own native brown soda bread.”
For after all, in some parts of the world, “long walks end in buttered brown bread and huge mugs of tea.”
And whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or simplybaking bread for a family meal, a traditional brown Irish soda breadis always a perfect accompaniment.
If you like your soda bread a bit sweeter and softer, you might want to try my Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk and Raisins. While this authentic recipe is my favorite, I often get requests for the other from the kids, and some grownups at my house.
Origins of Brown Irish Soda Bread
The first recorded recipe of Soda Bread came in November of 1836 from the London Farmer’s Magazine, referencing an article found in County Down’s Newry Telegraph of the same. It read:
“A correspondent of the Newry Telegraph gives the following receipt for making ‘soda bread,’ stating that ‘there is no bread to be had equal to it for invigorating the body, promoting digestion, strengthening the stomach, and improving the state of the bowels’.”
Then he instructs readers on how to make soda bread:
Put a pound and a half of good wheaten meal into a large bowl, mix with it two teaspoonfuls of finely-powdered salt, then take a large teaspoonful of super-carbonate of soda, dissolve it in half a teacupful of cold water, and add it to the meal.
Rub up all intimately together, then pour into the bowl as much very sour buttermilk as will make the whole into soft dough (it should be as soft as could possibly be handled, and the softer the better,).
Form it into a cake of about an inch thickness, and put it into a flat Dutch oven or frying-pan, with some metallic cover, such as an oven-lid or griddle.
Apply a moderate heat underneath for twenty minutes, then lay some clear live coals upon the lid, and keep it so for half an hour longer (the under heat being allowed to fall off gradually for the last fifteen minutes,) taking off the cover occasionally to see that it does not burn.
This is a rustically simple yet authentic recipe for Brown Irish Soda Bread I like to bake in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (affiliate link).
Brown Irish Soda Bread Ingredients
These simple, humble ingredients are authentically similar to the original recipe of 1836. The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Stone-ground whole wheat flour
- Buttermilk
- Baking soda
- Salt
Tips for making Brown Irish Soda Bread
- The dough should be moist and a little sticky. Add additional buttermilk if needed. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Handle it gently until it just comes together. You do not knead this bread.
- Buttermilk is necessary in this recipe – don’t skip it! If you need to make your own, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to a measuring cup and add buttermilk to reach 2 cups. Stir and let sit about 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
- When making the cross in the dough, make the cuts rather deep and gently pull the sides of the cut away from eachother, especially in the center. This will help the bread bake evenly. Plus… it’s pretty too!
- Serve immediately. This bread is best when it’s warm from the oven. Leftovers are good toasted with butter.
More Irish Recipes You May Also Enjoy
- Easy Mini Irish Soda Bread
- Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk and Raisins
- Irish Stew: an Ancient and Hearty Dish
- Traditional Irish Scones Recipe for Afternoon Tea
- St Patrick’s Day Appetizers
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Traditional Brown Irish Soda Bread
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Traditional Brown Irish Soda Bread is a classic quick bread that has stood the test of time. It's simple and quick to make, perfect for Irish stew or Dublin Coddle... or daily baking. Containing only 4 ingredients, it's a healthy and authentic way to enjoy Irish food.
Ingredients
- 2 cups stone-ground whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Butter a10-inch cast iron skilletand preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine dry ingredients and then add the buttermilk all at once. Stir until just combined. This will be a soft and sticky dough. Flour your hands and shape into a dome-shaped loaf and place in a skillet.
- Before slipping the bread into a preheated oven, be sure to cut a cross shape, about 1/2-inch deep, with a sharp knife on the top of the loaf. St. Patrick himself was known to make this bread and while there is differing symbolism attached to the sign of that cross, I choose to believe it symbolic of St. Patrick’s faith.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the cross has widened and the bread is golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Slice or wrap the loaf in a moist towel until ready to serve. Allow the loaf to completely cool before slicing.
Notes
Serve with quality Irish butter and homemade preserves if you have them!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 190Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 441mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
