If you’ve been looking for the perfect no-yeast bread to serve with any meal during the day, look no further than this delicious Irish Soda Bread! Made without raisins and using only pantry staple ingredients, this bread could not be simpler or any more delicious. It has a wonderful crunchy crust on the exterior, but when you cut into it, the bread itself is soft, moist, and oh so fluffy. The flavor is simple, but it works well it everything! From smearing with jams at breakfast to serving with your favorite weeknight dinner. It’s the ultimate simple versatile bread!

overhead shot of sliced irish soda bread on wood board with white napkin, flowers, jam jar, bowl of butter, knife, and stack of plates

About The Recipe

It’s finally Friday and we are less than a week away from St. Patrick’s Day! It may not be a holiday that we go all out celebrating in our family, but we always try to bake up some delicious Irish-inspired treats during this time of year. My great grandfather was Irish and we thought it would be fun to pay a little tribute to him and his family with this delicious Irish Soda Bread!

angled shot of bread on white napkin on wood board with bowl of butter, jam jar, white flowers, and stack of plates behind

overhead close up of three slices of bread on wood board

But, I will be the first to admit, this recipe is definitely not traditional. It’s kind of our take on it. Where we live, we can’t really find the traditional ingredients so…we made do with what we could find!

We originally tried this bread with whole wheat flour and, I’ll be honest, it just didn’t taste good. It was bitter, flavorless, and had a grainy mouthfeel. So, my mom and I went back to the drawing board and looked at our recipe.

What could we do to really make this taste good and be perfect alongside breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even just to have with a cup of tea/coffee?

angled photo of sliced irish soda bread on wood board with white napkin, flowers, bowl of butter, crumbs, stack of white plates, and jar of jam behind

With a little bit a tweaking, we turned this recipe into something absolutely delicious! It may not be traditional, but it definitely is something you can serve with every meal. Perfect for spreading butter on in the mornings, snacking on at lunch, or enjoying with soups/stews at night.

Our recipe results in a close textured and moist loaf, but it still has a slightly crisp crust. The flavor profile is simple, but it compliments every meal you serve it with! Every bite is actually filling and so delicious.

And, if you’d like, you can even stir in some raisins or currants for a fun addition to your bread!

Why You Will Love This Irish Soda Bread

This recipe only uses 7 super simple ingredients.
Makes 1 loaf, but it’s the perfect amount for several meals.
Ready in about 30-40 minutes!
Has absolutely NO yeast.
Perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner.
Simple in flavor.

close up of sliced irish soda bread on wood board with white flowers, stack of plates, and jar of jam

Equipment Needed

Mixing Bowls
Sheet Pan
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

All-Purpose Flour
Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder
Granulated Sugar
Salt
Baking Soda
Buttermilk
Sour Cream

flour, salt, milk powder, baking soda, sugar, buttermilk, and sour cream on marble surface

How To Make Irish Soda Bread

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered milk, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

milk powder, flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda in glass bowl

dry ingredients whisked together in glass bowl

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and sour cream.

Pour buttermilk mixture over flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do NOT overwork!

buttermilk mixture added to dry ingredients

Step 2: Shape, score, and bake

Turn onto floured surface and, very carefully, shape into a boule using your hands. Flatten the top slightly.

Use a sharp floured knife, to cut top of dough into quarters, stopping about halfway through the dough. Bake for 8 minutes. Reduce heat the oven temperature and continue baking for 15-20 minutes.

What To Serve With Irish Soda Bread

The great thing about this bread is that it goes with almost anything and everything! Though, here are a few of our favorite dishes to enjoy with this bread.

Raspberry Jam
Eggs (scrambled & boiled)
Red Bean Chili
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Tomato and Spinach Cheese Tortellini Soup
Homemade Tomato Soup
Easy Minestrone Soup
Instant Pot Beef Stew

How To Store

You can store this bread covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or you can freeze this bread for a month! Just remember, if you freeze this bread, set it out a few hours ahead of time and allow to come to room temperatures.

front shot of sliced soda bread on wood board with white napkin, flowers, stack of plates, and jam jar

Expert Tips

The real secret behind this bread is the milk powder! It adds so much to this bread and really makes it unlike any loaf you’ve had.
Be careful to not overwork the dough. It’s meant to be shaggy.
Don’t forget to score the bread on top in an “X” pattern before baking! It needs to be cut about half way through the loaf to help the middle cook all the way through.
If you are unsure if the bread is done, use an instant read thermometer and poke it into the middle of the loaf. A fully baked loaf of bread should read about 210 degrees F.
The crust will soften after storing.

When you make this Homemade Irish Soda Bread, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

4.75 from 4 votes