Soda Bread Recipe
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Made with whole wheat flour, honey, and mixed dried fruit, this easy soda bread recipe makes a great starter recipe for novice bakers. It’s loosely adapted from the soda bread recipe I first learned to make during our introduction to boulangerie course at Le Cordon Bleu London. Although I’d certainly eaten plenty of soda bread before moving to London, I’d never actually made it before that class. But I’ve definitely made up for lost time since then, often baking this staple soda bread recipe at least once a week. Slice and serve warm, with a big pat of butter on top!
Key Ingredients
- Flours – In this recipe I’ve used whole wheat flour (or wholemeal flour, depending on your location) for a deep golden brown color, as well as some additional fiber and protein, along with all purpose/plain flour. I encourage you to experiment with different types of flour and different flour combinations to find your favorite blend.
- Baking Soda – The ingredient that makes soda bread soda bread. The rise in this traditional loaf comes from a chemical agent (baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda) rather than biological (yeast). Because this recipe contains no eggs, yeast, or lamination, it will not rise if you omit the baking soda. And check the date—fresh baking soda will yield the best results. Don’t use that open box that’s been in the back of the fridge for a year!
- Unsalted Butter – Pay attention to the temperature of the butter. It must be very cold because you’ll use your warm hands to work it into the dry ingredients via the “rubbing in” method. (Literally just rubbing it between your palms, as you would when making shortcrust pastry or homemade scones.) If the butter is already warm, the fat won’t blend evenly into the dry ingredients, creating a lumpy, uneven loaf.
- Honey – In this recipe, honey adds a touch of sweetness to the dough, and the sugar also helps to give the loaf its beautiful deep brown color. If you don’t consume honey, you can replace it with another liquid sweetener.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk (a thick, sour dairy product made by adding lactic acid cultures to pasteurized milk to promote fermentation) pairs with baking soda to create the chemical reaction which causes the loaf to rise. Flavor-wise, it also adds a tangy note. (If you have some left over, I suggest making my buttermilk ranch dressing, mini red velvet whoopie pies, black and white cookies, or homemade buttermilk ice cream.)
- Mixed Dried Fruit – For color, texture, and flavor. In the UK, grocery stores like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s sell a pre-made dried fruit mix comprised of sultanas, raisins, currants, and candied citrus peels. If you can’t find mixed dried fruit, an equal quantity of black raisins, currants, golden raisins, or dried cranberries (or any combination of these) will also work. You can also add finely chopped homemade candied citrus peels or candied ginger to your mixture.
- Oats – Choose rolled oats (old fashioned oats), rather than quick or instant oats, or steel cut oats. Quick oats will turn to mush, while steel cut oats are too firm and won’t soften as the loaf bakes.
Soda Bread
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield1 7-inch round loaf 1x
A soda bread recipe with whole wheat, honey, and mixed dried fruit. Slice and serve the loaf while still slightly warm, with a pat of butter on top!
Ingredients
96 grams whole wheat flour (3/4 cup; 3 1/3 ounces)
85 grams all purpose flour (2/3 cup; 3 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
30 grams unsalted butter, cold and cubed (2 tablespoons)
30 grams rolled oats (1/3 cup), plus more for coating the loaf
110 grams mixed dried fruit or black raisins (3/4 cup)
180 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature (3/4 cup)
40 grams honey (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F (205° C). Line a half sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, kosher salt, and baking soda.
With your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the rolled oats and dried fruit and toss to combine.
Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the buttermilk and honey.
With a bench scraper, mix until just barely combined. Do not overmix. Dough will be sticky.
With your hands, pat dough into a loose, 6-inch round ball. Coat in additional rolled oats.
Transfer to prepared tray.
With a sharp paring knife or bread lame, cut a cross-shaped incision into the top of the loaf.
With your fingertips, press down gently on each triangle to increase the size of the opening.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until top and bottom turn golden brown and bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool briefly.
Slice with a serrated knife. Serve warm, accompanied by salted butter or brandy butter.
Wrap leftover bread in aluminum foil. Store at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Slicing and Serving
Unlike the spongy, open crumb of yeast-raised breads, soda bread gas a dense, crumbly texture. For this reason, I strongly recommend using a serrated knife to slice your loaf. If you try to slice the soda bread with a chef’s knife, you’ll find yourself with jagged edges and crumbly pieces rather than evenly-sized slices. Soda bread tastes best while still slightly warm, with a big pat of salted butter (or homemade brandy butter) on top. It’s great for breakfast, but I also enjoy a slice for lunch, alongside a bowl of my vegetarian chicken noodle soup!
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Because soda bread depends on a chemical agent (baking soda/bicarbonate of soda) rather than biological agent (yeast), this recipe comes together very quickly—no spending hours and hours waiting for the dough to rise. It’s a good option for days when you’d like to make a loaf of homemade bread but don’t have 3-4 hours to prove and bake a traditional yeast-raised loaf.
While freshest on the day it’s made, soda bread will keep reasonably well until the next morning. Place leftovers in a cloth bread bag, or wrap gently in parchment and aluminum foil, and store at room temperature on the countertop.
To freeze: Allow the loaf to cool completely, wrap it in parchment, then add a layer foil on top. Thaw at room temperature.
Other Soda Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy
Miniature Soda Bread Three Ways
Soda Bread with Cheddar and Herbs
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
