Irish soda bread is a lightly tangy bread traditionally served with late afternoon tea. It is a quick bread that uses baking soda as a leavener. Buttermilk is essential to this recipe; it activates the baking soda so the bread rises, and gives the bread a tender texture. 

Does Irish Soda Bread contain raisins?

Traditional Irish Soda Bread does not have any raisins; when raisins are included, the bread is called Spotted Dog. Since many bakers in the U.S. add raisins, we’ve included raisins as an optional ingredient here.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

This dough is very soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour. Be careful to knead the dough gently when shaping it, so you don’t overwork it and make the final bread tough. Fold it once or twice, then use your palms to shape the dough into an oval. The parchment paper will help keep the dough from sticking when it bakes. 

You can bake this bread on a baking sheet, in a cast-iron skillet, or in a Dutch oven. Bread baked on a baking sheet will have a slightly thinner, less crunchy crust. A cast-iron pan will give the bread a crispy crust on the bottom. Bread baked in a Dutch oven covered with the lid will have a crunchier crust that most closely mimics bread baked in a pot oven, an iron pot traditionally used in Ireland when baking bread in an open hearth oven. If you bake the bread in a Dutch oven, remove the lid 10 minutes before the bread is finished so it browns on top.