Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes Traditional Irish Soda Bread 3 Reviews Made with nutty graham flour, this hearty bread is delicious slathered with salted butter. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 25, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe Martha Stewart’s Irish soda bread recipe produces a hearty, rustic loaf that is an ideal accompaniment to Irish stew. Unlike many other bread recipes, it doesn’t require any yeast or rising time and uses baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk as leaveners. You’ll notice one specialty ingredient in the recipe: whole-wheat graham flour. Coarser than regular whole-wheat flour, it is made from the outer coating of the wheat and is rich in nutrients. It adds a nutty flavor and hearty texture to the bread. Serve this loaf with salted butter and jam on St. Patrick’s Day (or any day of the year). 20 Easy Quick Bread Recipes to Bake and Enjoy Any Time Ingredients for Traditional Irish Soda Bread The flours: Using mostly all-purpose flour for this recipe keeps the loaf from feeling too dense or heavy. Adding a cup of whole-wheat graham flour, meanwhile, lends a nutty taste and just the right amount of heft. If you can't locate graham flour, you can swap in a more standard whole-wheat flour. If you use the latter, substitute one-half cup wheat bran for one-half cup of the all-purpose flour. The liquid: You'll need one and two-thirds cups of buttermilk for this recipe. If you don't have any at home, you can make your own by combining one and one-third cups whole milk with one-third cup apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to curdle before using. The leaveners: Irish soda bread is categorized as a quick bread as it doesn't contain yeast and therefore does not require any rising time. Instead, you'll add both baking soda and baking powder, which react with the buttermilk to give rise to this hearty loaf. As always, check the dates on your baking powder and baking soda before using to ensure they're not expired. Tip Don't be shy when cutting an X into the loaf before baking; it should be about three-quarters of an inch deep. Irish tradition states that this is essential to "let the fairies out" of the loaf for good luck and protection. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 cup whole-wheat graham flour 2 ½ teaspoons coarse salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 ⅔ cups buttermilk Directions Heat oven and prepare pan; whisk dry ingredients: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Work in butter; add buttermilk and stir: With a pastry blender or your fingertips, blend in butter until it resembles small peas. Add buttermilk all at once; stir with a fork until mixture holds together. Pat into a loaf; transfer to prepared pan: In the bowl, pat the dough into a domeshaped loaf about 7 inches in diameter. Lift out dough; transfer to lined sheet. Dust with flour and score; bake: Lightly dust top of loaf with flour. Cut a 3/4-inch-deep cross in top, reaching almost all the way to edges. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Storage Store Irish soda bread at room temperature for three to four days. Keep it in a resealable plastic bag or wrapped well in plastic. What to Serve With Irish Soda Bread This rustic loaf is delicious served with salted Irish butter plus jam or honey. You can also serve it alongside a hearty Irish stew—try our recipe made with beef or one with the more traditional lamb. The bread's hearty texture makes it perfect for soaking up the thick broth and wiping the bowl clean at the end. More Irish Soda Bread Recipes to Try: Foolproof Irish Soda Bread Easy Irish Soda Bread Rich Irish Soda Bread Irish Brown Soda Bread Pull-Apart Soda Bread Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, March 2004 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.