I’ve updated this blog post and recipe since I originally shared it. I think this new and improved version is even better! Still, you can find the previous version here, if you’re interested.
After he partially retired a few years ago, my dad started cooking and baking a lot more. He always enjoyed both, but other than for Thanksgiving and Christmas, his busy work schedule and long hours often prevented him from making anything too elaborate or time-intensive.
About once a week, he texted me photos of his culinary creations, and I always looked forward to seeing them – especially his bread. He baked plenty of loaves from scratch, carefully proofing the yeast and kneading the dough, just like he taught me to do with homemade rolls as a little girl.
Classic rye, garlic naan, rosemary focaccia, rustic cottage loaves… Even multiple types of dough for pizzas made completely from scratch (including the sauce!). Each looked just as beautiful as the last, with soft insides and a lovely crumb, exactly the way they’d be in a bakery or on “The Great British Bake-Off” bread week episodes.
The times I drove home to visit, I usually found remnants of those loaves in the fridge, and new ones often appeared once or twice during my trips too. I snuck multiple slices almost every day… Freshly baked homemade bread is just too tempting!
However, I know not everyone has the time (or courage!) to make classic yeast-based breads completely from scratch…
Which is why I absolutely love this simple Irish soda bread recipe. It tastes so cozy and comforting, with the flavors and textures you’d want from homemade bread, but it barely takes any time to make. There’s no yeast, proofing, or kneading – and it takes less than 10 minutes to prep!
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.
HOW TO MAKE IRISH SODA BREAD
Let’s quickly talk about how to make the best healthy soda bread! It’s the easiest homemade bread you’ll ever make. You just need…
One bowl + a fork. You’ll mix together the dry ingredients first. Make a well in the center, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir everything together. It’s that simple!
But why a fork? And not a wooden spoon?
The space between the tines of the fork allows the ingredients to pass through and mix more efficiently. This means it takes less time to make the dough and there’s less of a chance of over-mixing, so your soda bread will have a better moist and tender texture.
Shape + score. The dough will be a bit sticky, so moisten your hands with a bit of water first. Shape it into a circle that’s 1 ½” tall, then make two cuts in the shape of a (+) sign in the top with a sharp knife. I’ve found a fillet knife works really well! This is called scoring the dough, and it lets steam (aka that carbon dioxide we talked about earlier!) escape while your loaf bakes.
How deeply you score the loaf will affect how it looks – both its top and sides!
In the photo above, I cut the set of slits in each loaf differently. In the bottom loaf, I inserted the knife only ¼” to ½” deep. In the middle loaf, I went a little further, around ¾” deep. In the top loaf, I cut most of the way through the dough, stopping around ½” above the bottom.
In the bottom loaf, the top was almost entirely flat, but there was a deep crack almost all the way around its base. In the middle loaf, there were four small bumps in its top, and it had a small crack only around certain parts of its base (not all the way around!). In the top loaf, its top consisted of four huge peaks, and it didn’t have any cracks around its base. (The bumps and splits that you see are a result of me being lazy and not smoothing out the dough while shaping it!)
Therefore… When the top slits are very shallow, the steam finds another way out of the dough – and that usually means it bursts out the sides, which creates that noticeable crack near the base.
Tip: After scoring the dough, sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt, if you’d like. It’s optional, but I love how much flavor it adds!
Bake. This soda bread bakes at a fairly high temperature, 425°F, which helps create a really nice crusty exterior. You’ll know it’s done when you can smell it – and when the top looks a nice golden brown!
QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY IRISH SODA BREAD
Difficulty: Really easy, including for many beginner bakers.
Taste: Homey and rustic, with a bright pop of salty flavor.
Texture: Soft, moist, and on the dense side with a crisp, crusty exterior.
Note: Because it tastes best when eaten the same day it’s made, I purposely designed this soda bread recipe to yield a small- to modest-sized loaf.
Is Irish soda bread good for you?
FAQ
Is soda bread better for you than regular bread?
How fattening is Irish soda bread?
Why is soda bread so good?
When should I eat soda bread?
Is soda bread healthy?
Soda bread is a type of bread made with baking soda instead of yeast, but it often contains added sugar, butter, and white flour, which can make it less healthy than other bread options. However, if made with whole grain flour and without added sugars and fats, soda bread can be a healthier alternative to traditional bread.
Is bread healthy for you?
White bread is high in refined carbohydrates, low in micronutrients, and its gluten and anti-nutrient contents may cause issues for some people. But, whole-grain bread provides fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, which help control of cholesterol levels, weight, and blood pressure, and lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. So, when consumed in moderation, whole grains made of quinoa, corn, barley, rye, rice, triticale, millet, teff, sorghum and wheat, can be part of a healthy diet.
Is soda bread good for digestion?
Additionally, the acidity in the buttermilk used in traditional Irish soda bread can help to balance the pH levels in the gut, aiding in digestion. These properties make soda bread a popular choice for those with sensitive stomachs or digestive issues. Moreover, soda bread is rich in fiber, which can also promote healthy digestion.
Is soda bread a quick bread?
Soda bread is classified as a quick bread which means it doesn’t rely on the time yeast needs to grow for the rise we see in other breads. History About Healthy Irish Soda Bread Although we associate soda bread with the Irish, American Indians were the earliest references in using soda ash to make bread rise.