By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 10
362 cal · 70 min
Irish Cheddar and Bacon Soda Bread
Recipe GLPR5954128348946f
A rustic Irish soda bread studded with crumbled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh scallions. This quick bread uses baking soda as its leavening agent and requires no yeast or rising time. The result is a tender, savory loaf with a golden crust, perfect for slicing and enjoying warm with butter.
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces cooked Irish bacon, crumbled
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup grated Irish cheddar cheese
4 green onions (scallions), chopped green parts only
1½ cups buttermilk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly brush a round baking sheet or 8-inch cast-iron skillet with the vegetable oil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and granulated sugar.
Stir in the crumbled cooked bacon, grated cheddar cheese, and chopped scallion greens until evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.
Create a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Using a fork or wooden spoon, gently stir until a shaggy dough just comes together; do not overmix—the dough should be slightly lumpy.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a round loaf approximately 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Use a sharp knife to score a cross about ¼ inch deep into the top of the loaf.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until the bread is golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven and cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Comments
Every ingredient is in stock year-round at all major Charlotte grocers—even a Harris Teeter will have sharp cheddar and buttermilk without fuss. The real cost is bacon and cheddar; assume $3–4 for decent bacon and $2.50–3 for half a pound of cheddar, landing around $1–1.50 per serving on groceries alone. The 70 minutes is honest: account for 15 minutes prep (chopping bacon and scallion, grating cheese) and 50 minutes in the oven, plus cooling; you cannot rush soda bread. It's a solid weeknight side or brunch dish that reheats reasonably well wrapped in foil, though the crumb will firm up slightly. Soda bread is not trendy Southern cooking, so this lands as a competent import rather than a local triumph, but nothing about it fails—just no surprises.
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