For the hearty brown soda bread that the Irish swear by every day, you can’t beat Matt Murphy’s Irish Brown Bread. But when you want its light, slightly sweet, raisin-studded cousin, Grammy Brody’s Irish Soda Bread will make your St. Patrick’s Day. This quick and easy soda bread bakes up a celebration-worthy loaf every time, without any need for practice, special skills, or fresh buttermilk.
Irish soda bread notoriously calls for buttermilk because its lactic acid activates the soda, creating the bubbles that cause the bread to rise. But really, who keeps buttermilk in their fridge?
Sure, it’s easy to make a buttermilk substitute by souring a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar. But we prefer Saco Buttermilk Powder for its sweet, tangy flavor. Try a taste of it dry—it’s what gives that addictive zing to cheddar popcorn.
This recipe makes a smallish bread (Dan calls it a “personal loaf”), but it’s plenty big to please four or even more. Double the recipe for a larger party—just allow for longer baking.
We keep dried currants in the pantry just for this bread because they’re so cute and somehow seem more Irish. But raisins are easier to find and taste just as good.
No matter what you serve on St. Patrick’s Day, this bread can make it better. And who knows, you may find yourself tempted to bake it more than once a year.
Grammy Brody’s Irish Soda Bread
Serves 4. For a doubled recipe, increase baking time to about 35 or 40 minutes.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup water
- 2 heaping tablespoons of Saco Buttermilk Powder
- 2 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup raisins or dried currants
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients except raisins. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, water, buttermilk powder, and oil.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture. Add the raisins or currants and stir a few times, just until the dough comes together. Dough should be kind of dry, so you may need to bring the dough together using your hands. If it is too dry to stick together, add a few drops of water. Do not overwork the dough. With lightly floured hands, gently form the dough into a rough ball. Place the ball onto the baking sheet and cut a cross on the top with a serrated knife.
- Bake on the middle rack until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
