Irish Soda Bread Recipe (Quick Bread with Raisins)
This is a very easy bread to make for St. Patrick's Day or any time of year really. Enjoy it with a potato soup or a delicious Irish stew. Or just slather on some grass-fed Irish butter, warm it up and enjoy it as a quick breakfast bread on the go.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American, Irish
Keyword: bread, Irish, Kid Friendly, raisins, st. patrick's day
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place paddle attachment on stand mixer.
Add flour, sugar, baking soda and salt to bowl of a stand mixer and mix with attachment.
Add cold cubed butter to dry ingredients and mix about 2 minutes, or until butter is well distributed, less than pea sized in the flour.
Add buttermilk to a small bowl or measuring cup with egg and orange zest and use a fork to whisk it well.
Add buttermilk mixture to your mixer and run on low speed till all wet, do not over-mix.
Sprinkle a little less than a Tablespoon of flour on your raisins and stir them to fully coat them.
Fold the raisins into the dough. (The dough will be very sticky and wet at this point)
Transfer the sticky dough onto a generously floured counter and just gently roll it into a ball, swiping some flour from the side onto it, just until it stops sticking to your hands. Sprinkle just a touch of flour if it's still sticky and then form it into a round ball and flatten slightly.
Place the dough on the parchment paper lined sheet pan and cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until internal temperature in the center is 200 deg. F. The loaf sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom of it.
Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes and then you may enjoy it or set aside to fully cool.
Serve warm, cut into slices with butter or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Keep the bread wrapped in plastic wrap or a bread bag and enjoy up to 5 days at room temperature.