St Patrick’s Day Irish Soda Bread
St Patrick’s Day Irish Soda Bread is a traditional quick bread with a golden crust and tender crumb, lightly sweetened with raisins and made without yeast. Perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, this easy homemade loaf comes together quickly using simple pantry ingredients.
Equipment
- baking sheet
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a cast iron skillet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add cold cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the raisins and optional caraway seeds until evenly distributed.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a round loaf.
- Place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet and cut a deep cross on top using a sharp knife.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.