Last updated on April 18th, 2025

What is Irish Soda Bread?
Ingredients
How to make Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
Dietary Substitutions
- TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
Storage
Related Recipes
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This Irish Soda Bread has a tender, scone-like texture, with a warm depth of Irish whiskey-soaked currants and bright zing of orange zest. It makes for a festive addition to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration or on a Spring breakfast table.

What is Irish Soda Bread?

Irish soda bread is a traditional quick bread that is similar in texture to a scone, but made without yeast. It uses baking soda as the leavening agent which reacts with buttermilk to create rise and a slightly tangy flavor. Unlike traditional yeast breads, this easy Irish soda bread doesn’t require any kneading or rising time, making it quick to bake. Serve it plain with Irish butter, or savory by not adding the currants and pair with a hearty stew. Although this is a traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe, I’ve added currants and orange zest for a flavor boost.

My vintage inspiration.

My recipe inspiration came from my 1967 “America Cooks, The General Federation of Women’s Clubs Cookbook.” The original recipe states “Originally, the daily bread was made with just caraway seeds, but for Sundays, raisins were added and the loaf was iced.”

Did you know? Traditionally, Irish Soda Bread is marked with a cross on the top as a blessing of thanks. However, the main purpose is that it allows the heat to reach the center of the loaf for even baking.

How I baked it modern.

omitted the caraway seeds
added orange zest for zing of flavor
added currants instead of raisins for their dainty size and tangy sweetness
soaked the currants in Jameson Whiskey for a boost of flavor & nod to St. Patrick’s Day
added more butter to make it richer and more flavorful
decorated the top of the bread with course sanding sugar for crunch
added Instant ClearJel to improve the texture and retain the moisture in the bread

Ingredients

flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour with 10-12% protein, such as King Arthur or Sir Galahad Artisan Flour (its bulk-purchased name) which has 11.7% protein. Avoid bread flour, as its higher protein content (11-14%), develops more gluten, which results in dense baked goods.

butter: American butter is made from cream and contains 80% butterfat as regulated by the USDA. Try to use a good quality butter in baked goods as it will make a difference. Another option is European butter, which is churned longer, has a higher fat content (82%-85%), with less water it yields more flavor, but can be more expensive.

sugar: Sugar is derived from sugarcane and is a key ingredient in baking that provides sweetness, texture, and moisture to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. For a more natural option, use cane sugar which is less processed and has a slight golden color and hint of molasses. It does have a slightly courser texture, so be sure to incorporate a bit longer when mixing into recipes.

buttermilk: Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”. MAKE YOUR OWN! Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.

eggs: Eggs are important in baking because their protein provides structure, they are a natural leavener trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods.

currants: Zante currants are are a small, dried, dark seedless grape. If you don’t have currants on hand, a smaller type of raisin such as a Thompson raisin is fine to use.

whisky: Irish Whisky is a triple-distilled alcoholic spirit, made from malted barley and other grains, aged in wooden casks in Ireland for at least three years. It is different from other whiskeys because the triple-distillation give it a smoother, lighter taste.

orange: Oranges are a citrus fruit that add a bright, zesty flavor to savory and sweet foods. Before squeezing the juice, zest the peel with a microplane tool and add it to baked goods for zingy flavor.

ClearJel: Add Instant ClearJel to baked goods for a light and tender texture. If ClearJel is hard to find, cornstarch is a good substitute. To swap: If the recipe calls for 1 T. cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. If the recipe calls for 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel.

sparkling sugar: (sometimes called course sugar) consists of large, heat resistant crystals that add texture and crunch to baked goods. Perfect for sprinkling on top of scones, muffins, and cookies for a professional look. However, it is sometimes confused with sanding sugar (also called colored sugar) which has a finer grain and melts into baked goods, rather than retaining its shape.

Baker’s Tips

For a flavor boost, soak your currants or raisins in a bit of Irish whiskey for about 15 minutes before adding them to the batter
Before adding soaked fruit, drain first and toss lightly in flour so they will distribute evenly in the dough.
Brush the bread with a light coat of heavy cream with a pastry brush and sprinkle on sanding sugar. This helps give shiny gloss to the bread and adds a nice crunch.

How to make Irish Soda Bread

Equipment

Recommended tools: (affiliate links)

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten-free, vegan, keto, low-sugar, etc. These are proven tips I use to convert conventional recipes into delicious, specialty baked goods. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
Use a premium gluten-free flour blend.
Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
Reduce the oven temperature by 25°, as gluten-free flour is delicate and could burn before the center is done.
Gluten-free baked goods dry out quickly, so put them in a sealed container right away.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.

Storage

Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days.
Seal in in freezer safe container for up to 6 months. To thaw frozen bread, allow to come to room temperature before opening the container.