Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe With Raisins – No Buttermilk Needed!

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This Irish Soda Bread is simply epic! You can make this beautiful loaf with simple common ingredients already found in your pantry!  This is the only Irish Soda Bread recipe you’ll ever need!

Best Ever Irish Soda Bread Recipe - SO EASY AND YUMMY!

OMG! Can you believe that this round perfect loaf with a criss-cross top can come out of your oven?  Yes, believe it, believe it!  Absolutely no baking experience is needed to make this beautiful Irish Soda Bread.  This recipe is so easy and foolproof, there is absolutely no way to mess it up – no way whatsoever!

I’ve never seen a bread recipe as easy as this one!  No kneading, no waiting for the dough to rise – just mix all ingredients, shape into a ball, cut the X on top and bake!  Yes, making this pretty criss-cross crack on the top is that easy – just cut a cross into the dough with a knife, and it will bake into the criss-cross crust perfection!

Irish Soda Bread

Unlike the typical Irish soda bread recipes that use buttermilk, this one uses regular milk.  After all, who’s got a bottle of buttermilk in the fridge? :)  Not me, that’s for sure!  This easy Irish Soda Bread recipe is using a mixture of milk and white vinegar instead of buttermilk.  If you do want to use real buttermilk, you certainly can – just replace the milk and vinegar with 1 3/4 cup buttermilk.

Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe With Raisins

So here is the Irish Soda Bread ingredient list: flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, milk, white vinegar and raisins – I told you the ingredients were simple :) Also, sugar and raisins are optional – feel free to leave them out.  With just 2 tbsp of sugar, this Irish Soda Bread is still a savory bread, not a sweet bread.  It has just a touch of sweetness – just right!  And it’s so yummy with raisins!

If you want a traditional Irish Soda Bread like they make in Ireland, leave out the sugar and raisins.  Authentic Irish version has just 4 ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.  The quantities of ingredients and the method of preparation remain the same!

This Irish Soda Bread is AMAZING with butter! Of course, every bread goes well with butter, but this one especially :)  You owe it to yourself to butter this delicious Irish bread slice and eat it all up!

Authentic Irish Soda Bread

How To Make Irish Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

Step 1: Make The Dough

Mix milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes, then combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix so they turn into dough.

Irish Soda Bread Dough Without Buttermilk

Step 2: Shape Into A Flattened Ball

Put the dough on parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and shape into a flattened ball 8 inches in diameter.

How To Make Irish Soda Bread

Step 3: Cut a cross on top

With a sharp knife, cut an X through the dough on top (1/2 inch deep).

Irish Soda Bread Cross On Top

Step 4: Bake in a pre-heated 400F oven for 40 minutes.

Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

That’s all there is to it! I told you that making this Irish Soda Bread with raisins was super easy :)

Best Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

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Easy Irish Soda Bread With Raisins

This is the best Irish Soda Bread recipe ever! Super easy to make, this bread is so beautiful and tastes amazing! Uses all common ingredients already found in your pantry - no buttermilk needed!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Put the milk and vinegar in a bowl, stir with a spoon and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a spoon again.
  • Put flour, baking soda, salt and sugar in another large bowl and stir to combine. Add the milk and vinegar mixture and raisins. Mix until all flour is incorporated (when the mixture is too tough to mix with a spoon, start mixing it with your hands).
  • Put the dough ball on a baking sheet. Shape the dough into flattened ball shape 8 inches in diameter. If the dough is too sticky to shape, wash your hands and then sprinkle your hands and the dough lightly with flour.
  • Cut an X on top of the dough circle with a sharp knife, about 1/2 inch deep.
  • Put the bread in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious. I baked it on a bread stone and the crust turned out great. The dough was a bit sticky so I had to add a bit more flour.

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