| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 55 min |
| Yield: | 1 loaf |
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup dried currants
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
- With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
- Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
- Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 205 |
| Total Fat | 4 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 2 grams |
| Cholesterol | 23 milligrams |
| Sodium | 312 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 37 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 grams |
| Sugar | 11 grams |
| Protein | 5 grams |
Reviews
I made this yesterday to bring to a post St. Patrick’s day dinner. It was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except that i used dried cranberries in place of currants. It’s my own preference that like orange and Cranberry flavors together. The dough is very wet and sticky. Just want to add that I’m not at all a baker or bread maker and had a difficult time trying to knead (lightly fold over) the dough to make it into a ball. I also used a parchment lined round cake pan so it wouldn’t spread out to a flatbread. 55 minutes in the oven was definitely not enough baking time using a round pan. I ended up finding a website stating that Irish soda bread is baked thoroughly when the center reaches 200-210°. This was a great help since I also didn’t understand what a hollow sound is when knocked on. The soda bread was a hit with everyone, even from someone else that made a more traditional Irish soda bread. I’ll definitely be making this again!
This is the second St.Patrick’s Day that I’ve used this recipe. The orange zest makes it extra special. It is delicious! I’ve made it with raisins and one with currants and they’re both wonderful, but LOVE it with currants especially.
I didn’t have buttermilk so I simply swapped in a Tbsp of vinegar to regular milk. Served soda bread alongside a beef stew and a Green Goddess cabbage salad. Perfect St Patrick’s Day dinner that everyone raved about. I can’t wait for leftovers today
I didn’t have buttermilk so I simply swapped in a Tbsp of vinegar to regular milk. Served soda bread alongside a beef stew and a Green Goddess cabbage salad. Perfect St Patrick’s Day dinner that everyone raved about. I can’t wait for leftovers today
Made exactly as written and is a very nice orange-ish fruit bread. Makes great buttered bread and toast but is too sweet for much else. That said, it’s not “Irish Soda Bread.” It’s more like a Selkirk Bannock made with soda instead of yeast.
The first time I made this recipe exactly as written (except I used raisins instead of currants). The dough was so loose and sticky it would not form a ball. It then baked up like a giant flat cookie. So I made it again, using 1/4 cup of additional flour and hand-mixing instead of using the stand mixer. While still a sticky dough, I was able to form it into a ball. Then I baked it in a 9″ cake pan at 400 degrees. After 45 minutes it was perfect!!!! And delicious!!! If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.
Replying to Tammy – great recipe. It’s super sticky. Even with a stand mixer. Just beat it down and flour your hands, the mixer blades, everything. And don’t be married to currants. Try different dried fruits. And yeah, I know it’s not traditional “Irish” soda bread. Welcome to America.
going to make this recipe tomorrow morning.
I do not have a stand mixer.
What are some helpful bits of advice to mix this?
I do not have a stand mixer.
What are some helpful bits of advice to mix this?
The raisins make this is a ‘fruit soda bread,’ or tea cake – and the addition of both fruit and eggs would make it a tea cake, no longer a soda bread, really. But that’s in Ireland.
The US recipes seem to be called and considered ‘Irish Soda Bread,’ which is perfectly fine in the US but confusing in Ireland, or “Traditional Irish Soda Bread,” which they aren’t.
Doesn’t make this any less delicious, just don’t expect a traditional dinner/supper/lunch bread; expect a tea cake. If I made it for dinner and called it soda bread, I’d risk being disowned; but I do have recipes like this in my breakfast rotation.
The traditional four-ingredient soda bread is what you would have with lunch or dinner. The American ones are nice for breakfast or tea.
The US recipes seem to be called and considered ‘Irish Soda Bread,’ which is perfectly fine in the US but confusing in Ireland, or “Traditional Irish Soda Bread,” which they aren’t.
Doesn’t make this any less delicious, just don’t expect a traditional dinner/supper/lunch bread; expect a tea cake. If I made it for dinner and called it soda bread, I’d risk being disowned; but I do have recipes like this in my breakfast rotation.
The traditional four-ingredient soda bread is what you would have with lunch or dinner. The American ones are nice for breakfast or tea.
I love this bread so much, and my friends love it so much too that I started a soda bread fan club.
While in quarantine for Covid, I binge watched Back to Basics and could not wait to try Ina’s Irish Soda Bread. Tried the original recipe first then played around with different additions. Trader Joe’s sells candied orange slices that I chopped up and added to the currants. Dusted both before adding to the batter YUM!!!. Am making seasonal tea towel wrapped loaves to give away for Christmas. Thanks, Ina!!!!
Delicious! This is my go-to recipe for Irish Soda Bread and it is always comes out perfect every time. To change this up a bit I wanted to try using dried, chopped figs instead of the currants, would that work? Would chopped nuts work also? I’m not changing this recipe but I love this dough and wanted to try making a different bread.