By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
313 cal · 50 min
Irish Soda Bread
Recipe GLPRd5119db8ea6ab7
A rustic, tender quick bread made with whole wheat and all-purpose flour, buttermilk, and optional raisins. This traditional Irish loaf is easy to prepare with no yeast or long rising time required. The distinctive cross on top gives it authentic character, and the hearty crumb makes it perfect for breakfast, tea time, or alongside soups and stews.
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Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup golden or regular raisins, optional
2 cups buttermilk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Use your fingertips to lightly fluff the dry mixture together, which helps create a better texture in the finished bread. Stir in the raisins if using.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. Using a dough whisk or wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it begins to come together. Once most of the flour is incorporated, switch to a claw-like hand motion to bring the dough together, being careful not to overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape and pat it into a disk about 1½ inches thick, incorporating any remaining dry bits as you work. Place the shaped loaf on a baking sheet.
Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the top of the loaf, dividing it into four sections. Use a fork to prick each of the four quadrants several times.
Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Carefully flip the loaf over and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Comments
Irish soda bread is a genuine winner for Charlotte weeknight cooking. All six ingredients are staples at every major chain—whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, raisins, and buttermilk are stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, Walmart, and ALDI without exception—and the total cost per loaf runs roughly $2.50 to $3, or about 35 cents per serving. The stated 50 minutes is honest if you count mixing and baking; actual hands-on time is maybe 10 minutes. This bread keeps well for three days wrapped at room temperature, reheats gently, and works equally for toast, soup accompaniment, or lunchbox sides, making it genuinely useful for a family. The only reason this is not a 5.0 is that soda bread is not a weeknight staple in North Carolina the way it might be in Irish-American communities elsewhere, so it lacks the seasonal or regional pull that would make a reader reach for it instinctively.
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