Ina Garten's Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Ina Garten’s Irish Soda Bread is a wonderful treat for St. Patrick's Day or any other day of the year. It comes together in minutes and requires no yeast. It is delicious when served with a spread of butter (and jam), but you can also serve it with soups, stews, cheese, and more.
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for currants and the counter
- 2 tablespoons granulated or cane or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick) cold, cut into ½-inch small pieces
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk cold
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup currants
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined for 10 seconds or so.
- Add the butter pieces and mix on low speed until butter is mixed with flour, about a minute.
- Place the cold buttermilk in a large measuring cup and add the egg and orange zest. Whisk to combine.
- While the machine is running on low, slowly add the buttermilk mixture. Run the machine until everything is combined for about a minute. You may have to stop the machine once to scrape the bottom.
- Mix the currants with a tablespoon of flour in a bowl.
- Turn the machine on low speed and add the currants. Mix until they are evenly distributed within the dough for about a minute. Don’t be alarmed, it should be a very sticky dough.
- Sprinkle your kitchen counter with flour and transfer the dough on top. Knead for a minute or two and shape it into a round loaf.
- Transfer the loaf onto the prepared sheet pan. Using a serrated knife, cut an X on top of the bread.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until it turns lightly golden brown. When tapped at the bottom, it should make a hollow sound.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Yields: This recipe makes 1 loaf that can be cut into 8 slices. The nutritional values below are per slice.
- Don’t have a mixer? Mix it by hand: Ina makes it in an electric stand mixer, but if you don't own a mixer, make it by hand with a large bowl and wooden spoon. Just make sure to work fast to prevent the butter from melting.
- Dried fruit: Ina uses currants in her recipe. However, if you don't have currants, you can use cranberries or raisins. I recommend chopping them up a bit before adding them to the better so they resemble currants.
- Sticky dough: Even after kneading on a floured surface the dough will be sticky. Simply follow the recipe; it is normal for it to be sticky.
- Wait for it to cool down: I know it is not ideal to wait for an hour when your kitchen smells amazing, but if you slice it too early, it will stick to your knife and will lose all its moisture.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: If freezing the whole loaf, double wrap in plastic wrap, then in a layer of aluminum foil. If freezing individual slices (recommended), seal them tight in a zip-top freezer bag. Whichever method you choose, freeze for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Thaw the loaf overnight in the refrigerator. If you have frozen slices, you can reheat them in your toaster right away.
- Reheat: Reheat the entire loaf in a low—medium oven (300 - 325 degrees F) for 10 minutes or until warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg
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