There are dozens of varieties of Irish soda bread; some are made with white flour, some whole grain, and some contain caraway seeds and currants. Generally, most recipes call for shaping the loaves into a round about 2” thick and with a sharp knife, cutting a cross down halfway through. Some soda bread is heavy and dense, but most that is offered in Ireland is lighter and even delicate. The best soda bread I’ve ever eaten was in Dolan’s Pub in Limerick; it was almost ethereal, and the yummy Irish butter made it even better. I’ve been trying to duplicate their soda bread, and while the following Wholemeal Soda Bread isn’t exact (probably due to the difference in Irish flour, humidity in Ireland, and a commercial oven in Dolan’s Pub), this is a fairly close second. I’ve found that it’s much easier to serve when baked in a loaf pan, so I skip the shaping into a round and go with scraping the batter into the pan, which is faster.

Unlike yeast bread, soda bread isn’t supposed to be served hot, so it can be made early in the day. It also keeps quite well, so it can be enjoyed for several days after baking. Make sure you serve it with plenty of Irish butter along with your favorite Irish main dish; if you don’t have favorite Irish main dishes yet, here are some that have been published on BellaOnline in the past: Irish Main Dishes.

18 Slices

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup Irish oatmeal (steel-cut oats)
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Measure the whole wheat flour, white flour, steel-cut oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Add the milk, egg, and sour cream; mix on low speed until moistened.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake about 75 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.
7. Let the loaf sit 10 minutes, then run a knife around the outside and invert onto the rack.
Turn the loaf right-side up and let cool thoroughly.
8. Slice and serve with plenty of Irish butter.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 168 Calories from Fat 21
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 13% Protein 14% Carb. 73%

Nutrient Amount per Serving:
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 16 mg
Sodium 233 mg
Total Carbohydrate 31 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 6 g

Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 6%