I’ve been making Irish Soda Bread for years. And I’ve certainly posted my fair share of soda bread recipes over the years. However, this recipe is definitely the easiest of the bunch to assemble. While the usual suspects appear in the ingredient list of this less than traditional recipe, the dough includes the addition of an egg so there is no need to knead. Just combine the ingredients with a spatula or wooden spoon and drop the moist dough into a standard-sized loaf pan. The result… A less crumbly loaf that’s a bit more moist as compared to the traditional bread round or scone. This loaf slices beautifully.
I hope you have a few spare moments to “throw on the kettle” and assemble this delicious Irish Soda Bread Loaf. There’s nothing like a fresh pot of tea with a thick slice of this gorgeous bread slathered with butter and homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam.
Irish Soda Bread Loaf
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
A handful of old fashioned oats for the topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda and raisins. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle old fashioned oats over the batter; press lightly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.