My Mother-in-Law apparently makes the best Irish Soda Bread. My son Brooks spends weekends sometimes with his grandparents and comes home raving about his Grammy’s homemade bread. Wouldn’t you think he’d like Mom-the-Recipe-Girl’s recipes for soda bread the best? Nope- Grammy has always had his heart won on hers. The funny thing is- I don’t even think she follows a recipe! I’ve never seen one written, but I suppose I’ll have to do some heavy investigating. In the meantime, I messed with Bon Appetit’s recipe for Brown Butter Soda Bread to create my own twist on this bread.
BA’s version was a savory sort. I took the savory out of it and turned it into sweet instead. The bread itself isn’t sweet, but I didn’t want rosemary or other spices mixing flavors with the dried currants that I wanted to add. The most difficult part of this recipe is browning the butter, which takes all of 4 minutes on the stove and is super easy to do. Take the time to brown the butter- it has magical flavors!
The dough is super easy to work with- I mixed in a little whole wheat flour to my recipe. No yeast is involved, and it just pats together into two small loaves.
Cut (score) an X into the tops of the loaves. The “X” allows the bread to expand properly while cooking (and let steam escape). It also provides for a visually appealing look to the surface of the bread. Thanks to The Fresh Loaf for their awesome bread-scoring tutorial!
Brush with a little bit of egg white wash.
And bake until golden and crispy on the outside.
While my bread was baking, I assembled a sweet butter to go with it. Mix softened butter with a good drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
And you’ll see how amazing this is when spread onto warm soda bread. It’s a must, really.
Ready for eating. I suggest just tearing off a warm chunk of bread and having a go at it. My family of three plowed through 1 1/2 of these small loaves during our dinner where salad was our main dish. It was very easy to eat, and the honey butter was so good that I had to make more!
I think Grammy might have some competition here. Brooks really, really enjoyed this soda bread. Did he like it better than Grammy’s? Well… when I asked him, he wouldn’t respond. So either he didn’t want to hurt my feelings or he didn’t want to hurt Grammy’s. I think he was kinda smart to keep those thoughts to himself 🙂
Check out Jessica’s version of this recipe on How Sweet it Is for a savory version of Brown Butter Soda Bread.
The brown butter makes this soda bread extra special. We love it served with honey butter.
Recipe Details
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: brown butter, soda bread
Servings: 12 servings (2 small loaves)
Calories: 214kcal
Author: RecipeGirl.com (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Instructions
SODA BREAD
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden brown (stirring often and keeping a close eye), 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set it aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the brown butter and buttermilk until the flour mixture is moistened and comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface. Sprinkle the currants on top and knead them gently into the dough until the dough comes together, about 7 turns. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into ball, and lightly flatten each into 6-inch round. Place the rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 5 inches apart. Use a knife to cut a ½ inch deep "X" in the top of each round of dough. Brush the tops with the egg wash.
Bake the loaves until they turn deep golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool breads on rack at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
HONEY BUTTER
If you'd like to make the honey butter, just mix the butter with honey and cinnamon in a small bowl until blended. Serve with the bread.
Notes
- Tip from Bon Appetit: You'll get the most tender soda bread by kneading the dough gently and briefly, just until it comes together, so the gluten is minimally developed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 401mg, Potassium: 185mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 187IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 2mg
FAQs
If your Irish soda bread is too crumbly, it may be because you overmixed the dough. Another possibility is that your baking soda was expired and should be replaced. Make sure you are using the correct amount of baking soda in the recipe. Too much or too little can result in a crumbly loaf.
Why is my soda bread wet in the middle? ›
Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).
Why is my Irish soda bread gummy? ›
And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.
How to make soda bread less dense? ›
Because soda bread is not yeasted bread, kneading it just makes it dense and hard. To develop its trademark soft crumb, you touch the dough as little as possible while shaping it. If you prefer a chewier kneaded bread texture but don't want to put in all that work, try our easy No-Knead Bread recipe.
How do you make bread less dry and crumbly? ›
Too much flour and not enough water can cause crumbly bread – people often do this if the dough is too sticky and they add more flour rather than kneading through it. Other culprits can be overproving or not kneading enough – the things you need to do to get a good structure.
How to make brown bread less crumbly? ›
Adding too much flour is one common mistake for beginning bakers. This produces dry bread with more crumbs. The key is finding the balance between flour and liquid ingredients in your recipe. It can be tricky because bread recipes don't always give you an exact amount of flour.
What happens if you over knead soda bread? ›
Barely any kneading is necessary, but if you overknead it, it makes for a pretty tough bread.
Can you leave soda bread dough overnight? ›
(Some recipes call for yeast and kneading, but know this isn't required.) You don't have to wait hours or overnight for a rise, either. In fact, you don't even need to wait at all: Dough for Irish soda bread can go right into the oven after making.
How to tell when soda bread is done? ›
The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread.
What do Irish people eat with soda bread? ›
Irish Pub Fare: Pair the soda bread with classic pub fare such as shepherd's pie or bangers and mash. The hearty nature of the bread definitely belongs in the same 'comfort food' family as these dishes. Corned Beef and Cabbage: This bread is perfect alongside a traditional St.
This delicious Traditional Irish Soda Bread is best stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, place it in an airtight bag, and freeze them for up to 1 month.
Is soda bread good for you? ›
Nutrition Notes
Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
Why is my soda bread raw in the middle? ›
Why Did My Bread Not Cook in the Middle?
- Improper Flour Measurement. For best results, measure all ingredients by weight, not volume. ...
- Not Preheating the Oven. For most recipes, you'll want to make sure the oven is fully preheated. ...
- Setting the Oven Temperature Is Too Hot. ...
- Not Testing for Doneness. ...
- It's Not Cool Enough.
Why is my brown soda bread heavy? ›
Overmixing the dough: Brown soda bread dough should only be mixed until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing can lead to a tough, dense bread. Dough too dry or too wet: the texture of the dough is important for the success of your bread. If the dough is too dry, the bread may turn out crumbly and dense.
What's the difference between wheaten bread and soda bread? ›
Soda breads are made using wholemeal, white flour, or both. In Ulster, the wholemeal variety is usually known as wheaten bread and is normally sweetened, while the term "soda bread" is restricted to the white savoury form.
Why does my brown bread fall apart? ›
Usually, bread crumbles in the middle either because the gluten wasn't developed enough (ie, the dough needed more kneading), or because the shaped loaves underproofed and the quick poofing rise in the oven weakens the gluten strands in the middle of the loaf.
Why does my homemade soda bread fall apart when I slice it? ›
Using too much flour and too little buttermilk can cause your traditional soda bread to turn out more crumbly than it should be.
Why is my quick bread dry and crumbly? ›
A coarse, crumbly texture: Your quick bread should be moist and dense. Too much fat (butter, oil, or shortening) or too much leavening (baking soda or baking powder) will cause the bread to be crumbly. A bitter, soapy aftertaste: Too much baking soda or baking powder will create an aftertaste.
What consistency should soda bread be? ›
The oldest recipe for soda bread, widely syndicated from Ireland's Newry Times in 1836, says the dough was "as soft as could possibly be handled...the softer the better." Thirteen years and 180 miles down the road, the Waterford Times described it as "wetter than pie crust, too stiff to pour, but not stiff enough to ...