Serves 10
60 min
Foolproof Irish Soda Bread
Recipe GLPRcc6185fcdb2cff
A hearty, rustic Irish soda bread made with whole wheat bran, caraway seeds, and plump raisins. This foolproof loaf requires no yeast—just a simple mixture of acidulated milk and pantry staples combine to create a dense, nourishing crumb. Perfect sliced and buttered while still warm.
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Ingredients
1⅓ cups whole milk
⅓ cup apple-cider vinegar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
¼ cup caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
Salted butter, preferably Irish, for serving
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust it with flour.
Pour the whole milk into a liquid measuring cup and add the apple-cider vinegar. Stir gently and let sit for 2–3 minutes to curdle and create a buttermilk-like mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, wheat bran, coarse salt, baking powder, and baking soda until evenly combined.
Add the cold unsalted butter pieces to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Stir the caraway seeds and raisins into the flour mixture.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the curdled milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hand, gently fold and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Do not overmix; the dough should come together loosely.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round loaf approximately 7–8 inches in diameter and about 2 inches thick.
Transfer the shaped loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, score an X across the top of the loaf, cutting about ¼ inch deep.
Place in the preheated 450°F oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with salted butter.
