Irish Soda Bread: A tasty no-yeast bread
One of my absolute favorite breads to make this is no-yeast Irish soda bread. Irish soda bread is fluffy, buttery, and perfect for any level baker. It’s an absolute dream to wake up to on a weekend morning!
Irish Soda Bread
While Irish soda bread is technically a bread, it’s crumb is as tender as a fluffy muffin or cake. The crust for the bread is crisp and crusty, like any good bread is.
But the inside. The inside is where the magic happens.
The inside of Irish soda bread is moist and buttery, tender on the palate. It’s slightly sweeter than a yeast bread typically is, so you could enjoy it simply as is if you wanted to. I like spreading a thin layer of jam, whatever jam is in season.
Irish soda bread is also studded with dried currants.
The dried currants used in the batter compliment the bread with a touch of sweetness without providing as much bite as a raisin. But if you can’t get your hand on dried currants, raisins will also be just fine.
As the soda bread name implies, this bread also doesn’t require any yeast, but instead uses baking soda to help with its rise. You can create the dough and bake it within an hour.
The dough is really sticky, so don’t be surprised if handling it is a bit messy. It will all come together and bake beautifully, I promise!
This bread smells heavenly as it bakes, so feel free to invite people over and have them talk about how wonderful your home smells. Isn’t it just delightful that your home has a natural warm, buttery air to it?? Hehe!

Irish Soda Bread
A buttery and fluffy no-yeast bread that is simple to whip up and a comforting treat to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 4 c all-purpose flour, plus 1 tbsp extra for currants
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp table salt
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, or 1/2 a stick, cut into cubes
- 1 3/4 c cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp grated orange zest
- 1 c dried currants
Instructions
- On low speed, mix your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt) on low speed, just until combined.
- Add in the cubed butter and mix on low speed until it's incorporated into the mixture and flour starts to clump.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl, crack your egg into the buttermilk. Add the orange zest, then use a fork to whisk these ingredients together and slightly break up the egg yolk.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in batches. Mix until everything is combined well.
- Mix your currants with the tablespoon of flour. This will keep the currants from sinking to the bottom of your batter. Add the currants into the dough. Mix on low speed just until they're incorporated evenly throughout the dough.
- Flour your working board and hands very well before transferring the dough from the bowl to the board. Dough will be very sticky, but just flour hands as needed to work with the dough. Knead the dough gently and briefly into a compact loaf shape. Gently transfer the loaf to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
- Use a sharp knife to draw an X into the top of the loaf. Bake the bread at 375°F for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You should hear a hollow sound when you tap on the bread.
Notes
If you don't have buttermilk, pour 1 and 3/4 cup of milk into a container, then remove 1 and 3/4 tbsp of milk from what you just poured. Replace it with and 1 and 3/4 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the lemon juice/vinegar sit in the milk for 10 minutes. The mixture should curdle a bit and will act as a good substitute for buttermilk.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 562mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 3gSugar: 22gProtein: 10g
Looks delicious Beeta! 😉
Bravo Beeta <3