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A round loaf of Irish soda bread with a deep cross cut into the top

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

A four-ingredient, no-yeast Irish soda bread with a craggy crust and tender crumb.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ¾ cups buttermilk cold
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, for brushing, optional

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F and dust a baking sheet with flour (or line it with parchment).
  2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
  3. Pour in most of the buttermilk and mix with a fork or your fingers, working from the center outward, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Add the rest of the buttermilk if dry flour remains.
  4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it gently into a round about 1½ inches thick — don't knead it, or the bread will be tough.
  5. Set it on the baking sheet and cut a deep cross in the top with a floured knife, almost to the edges.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 400°F and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until deep golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Brush with melted butter if you like and cool on a rack.

Notes

Soda bread is best the day it's baked. Toast leftovers and serve with plenty of salted Irish butter.