Make delicious, crusty white bread in under 40 minutes – with no kneading, or proving! My Easy White Soda Bread is super simple to make and only uses 4 ingredients! Wonderful eaten just as it is or as an accompaniment to soups and stews.
Quick bread for impatient people – like me!
I am hugely passionate about soda bread – not only does it taste amazing, but it’s also unbelievably quick and easy to make: no kneading, no proving and only 4 simple ingredients!
Regular bread is not hard to make, but it is time consuming… and as I’ve shared before, I’m really not a fan of kneading, or waiting around for bread to prove – I am an impatient soul.
Soda bread, on the other hand, can be done and dusted in under 40 minutes – now that’s my kind of bread!
And I love how simple it is to make – just throw a few basic ingredients into a bowl, mix until you have a ball of dough, place on a baking tray, cut a cross and pop it in the oven.
30 minutes later you have delicious, warm, homemade bread that you just can’t get enough of!
Finally – A White Soda Bread Recipe!
Most soda bread recipes I’ve come across are for wholemeal soda bread, or contain a mix of wholemeal and white flours. And my previous recipes for soda bread have all been wholemeal.
But there is absolutely no reason why you can’t make soda bread white! When I realised recently that I did not have a white soda bread recipe on my website, I knew I needed to create one!
Should you use bread flour or plain flour in soda bread?
I usually use plain flour when making soda bread, but for this recipe, I decided to experiment with using strong white bread flour. I made one loaf using strong white bread flour and one using plain (all purpose) white flour – the result really surprised me!
The loaf made with plain white flour was FAR BETTER than the one made using strong white bread flour. I would never have guessed that to be the case!
So, if you make white soda bread, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you use plain (all purpose) white flour rather than strong white bread flour.
Other tips for making white soda bread
In my experiments, I discovered two other important tips for making white soda bread.
The first was you need to use more salt when making white soda bread (compared to making wholemeal soda bread) – this is because white flour has less flavour than wholemeal flour, so more salt is needed to stop white soda bread tasting bland.
Obviously, you can experiment with this to find the right level for your tastes, but I found I needed 1.5 tsp salt per loaf (350g flour) – this works out at less than ¼ of a teaspoon per (generous) portion, so it’s still not excessive (just don’t eat the whole loaf, OK?)
The other was that I needed to lower the oven temperature. I normally cook wholemeal soda bread at 220C (200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F), but I found at this temperature the white soda bread got burnt on the outside before it was fully cooked in the middle, and the crust was far too crusty (this is coming from a girl who really likes crusty bread!). So I lowered the oven to 180C (160C fan/ gas mark 4 / 350F) and it came out just perfectly.
This is also a great temperature to cook stews, so you can have a stew cooking and just pop in a loaf of soda bread towards the end of the cooking time.
Can you make soda bread without buttermilk?
Absolutely! To make soda bread without buttermilk, simply use 200ml/7oz regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar also work) stirred into the milk to sour it…it will work just fine!
If you prefer, you can use natural yogurt in place of the buttermilk.
Alternatively, why not try my No Buttermilk Soda Bread, which is also vegan and dairy free?
Can you use baking powder instead of baking soda?
No! It won’t work. You need to use baking soda (AKA bicarbonate of soda). It is the reaction between the acid in the buttermilk (or lemon juice/vinegar/yogurt) and the baking soda that helps the soda bread to rise.
Do you need to cut a big cross in soda bread?
Yes! Because soda bread cooks quickly, if you don’t cut the big cross, you are likely to find the outside of the soda bread is cooked before the middle of the soda bread. Cutting the deep cross on top helps the heat to penetrate right to the centre of the bread really fast.
So be brave and cut a really deep, clean cross – it should go almost to the bottom of the dough!
How long does soda bread keep?
Soda bread does not keep especially long (mostly because it is so delicious!) – it is best eaten on the day you make it. The day after it tastes OK, but is usually starting to go a little stale. If you do have some left over the next day, I suggest you toast it – toasted soda bread is delicious!
Can you freeze soda bread?
Absolutely! Soda bread freezes really well. Just make sure you freeze it on the day you baked it and that it is completely cool and well wrapped (wrapping should be airtight – e.g. a freezer bag) before putting it in the freezer. You can freeze it as a whole loaf or cut it into slices first. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and either eat it at room temperature or toast it.
What to serve with soda bread?
Soda bread is delicious warm out of the oven, just as it is – or slathered with jam/honey/Nutella etc. It’s also wonderful with antipasti type foods, such as or cheese, olives and cold meats.
Alternatively, it is a brilliant accompaniment to soups and stews. I made this particular loaf especially to go with my Easy One Pot Irish Lamb Stew, but it would also go brilliantly with:
- Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
- Spicy Moroccan Chickpea Soup
- Creamy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Easy One Pot Irish Lamb Stew
Other recipes for soda bread
If you like my recipe for Easy White Soda Bread, you might like to try my other soda bread recipes:
- Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread
- No Buttermilk Soda Bread (Vegan & Dairy Free)
- Pumpkin Seed and Rye Soda Bread
- Buckwheat Soda Bread
- Easy Cheese Soda Bread
- Easy Soda Bread Rolls
- Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread
- Easy Fruit Soda Bread
No Buttermilk Soda Bread (Vegan, Dairy Free)
Easy White Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 350 g plain white flour (all-purpose white flour)
- 1½ teaspoons salt (or to taste - see note 6)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (see notes)
- 285 ml buttermilk (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan/ gas mark 4 / 350F.
- Dust a baking tray (I actually use a pizza tray) with a little plain flour.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly. Tip in the buttermilk and stir to combine.
- Keep stirring until the ingredients come together as a dough, then squidge together to form a ball.
- Place the ball of dough on your baking tray and cut a deep cross in the centre. (This is really important as it helps the centre of the bread to cook properly – so cut nice and deep, almost to the bottom.)
- If you wish, you can dust the loaf with a little flour, then place the bread in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve with soup, stew, salad, or cheese, olives and cold meats.
Notes
- Baking soda is the same as bicarbonate of soda, however it is not the same as baking powder. Make sure you use baking soda/bicarbonate of soda in this recipe. Baking powder will not give the same result!
- Instead of buttermilk you can use 200ml/7oz regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar stirred in to sour it. Alternatively you can use natural yogurt.
- You can make this recipe dairy free / vegan by using dairy free milk instead of regular milk, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Flour does vary in absorbency, so you may find if you add all the buttermilk (or buttermilk alternative) your dough is too wet. To avoid this, add the liquid slowly and stop when the dough is soft and sticky but still able to hold a shape.
- If you find your dough is too wet, add extra flour until it is able to hold its shape. Conversely, if you find your dough is too dry, simply add a splash of water or milk to achieve the correct consistency.
- I have had a couple of comments about this recipe being too salty. Personally I find 1.5 teaspoons of salt to be just perfect for this size loaf (see the main blog post above for my reasoning), but taste is a very personal thing, so you may find 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt to be more to your liking.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Easy White Soda Bread for later
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Corina Blum says
I love making soda bread to go with soup in winter! It is definitely best eaten up on the day it’s made too.
Eb Gargano says
Totally agree – soda bread is such a perfect accompaniment to soup in the winter. Soda bread very rarely lasts long enough in our house to worry about whether it’s ok the next day!! Eb x
Vinney says
Dear baker, can I use bread flour for the soda bread ? Kindly assist . Appreciate
Eb Gargano says
Unfortunately no, while bread flour is necessary for normal ‘yeasted’ breads it does not work so well in soda bread. You need plain / all purpose flour for this soda bread. Eb 🙂
Lilli clark says
Just tried your sofa bread for the first time,
My husband and l just love it,great with smashed banana,
We will be making it quite often. Thanks.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Lilli – I am so happy to hear this 😀 Thanks for this lovely feedback! Eb 🙂
Andy says
Texture was great but followed recipe by adding 1.5 teaspoons of salt. I found the bread was way too salty so next time will reduce to half a teaspoon.
Eb Gargano says
I am sorry to hear you found the bread too salty. It’s a similar amount of salt as you would find in regular ‘bought’ bread, but I accept we all like slightly different levels of salt… at least it’s an easy fix! Eb 🙂
Monika Dabrowski says
Love the rustic look of your soda bread. It is interesting that plain flour works better than strong bread flour in this bread recipe. Perhaps strong bread flour is better for yeast based breads? Thank you for bringing your lovely recipe to #CookBlogShare.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Monika! Oh yes – strong bread flour is definitely best for normal bread made with yeast, but it turns out plain flour is MUCH better in soda bread. The difference was quite astonishing! Eb x
jenny walters says
My goodness me this looks incredible. It is something that I have never made which is strange as I am a big bread baker. So I am going to make this golden beauty over the weekend. Will let you know how I get on…..
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny! I’d love to know what you think if you make it 😀 Eb x
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
Such a gorgeous loaf! Perfect crust and fluffy middle. I absolutely adore soda bread and should really be baking it a bit more often and now your recipe has spurred me on to do it! It’s really interesting to read up on the flour experiments you’ve done and all the helpful tips as well. I really like the fact that you are not afraid to use a proper amount of salt in your loaf (high five!) lol Also thank you for sharing your delicious loaf with #BakingCrumbs 🙂 x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jo! So pleased you found this helpful. Yes, I found the flour experiment I did really interesting – I would never have guessed that the plan flour loaf would taste so much nicer! Eb x
Anna | Once Upon A Food Blog says
I love soda bread but have never tried a white one. A great idea! I like any left overs toasted for breakfast the next day. If it’s too chunky to fit in the toaster I just toast it in a dry frying pan as I daren’t risk waking the neighbours with the smoke alarms if I use the grill!
Eb Gargano says
Yes, that was one of the reasons I decided I needed to make one – there are so many recipes out there (and on my blog) for wholemeal soda bread, but white soda bread is much less common. Not sure why, as it’s just as delicious. Yes, leftover soda bread toasted is amazing! Trouble is this loaf is so yummy, there’s not often any left by the next day 🙁 Eb x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
Wow what a fantastic way to get tasty bread quickly!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Kat! It really is 😀 Eb x
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Love soda bread, so quick and so easy peasy 🙂
Eb Gargano says
That’s exactly why I love it too!! Eb x
Helen - Cooking with my kids says
This looks great and I love how quick it is to make – my impatient little chefs hate waiting for bread to prove which puts us off baking it very often. This could be the answer.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Helen, so pleased you like the recipe. My impatient little chefs hate waiting too – this is the perfect way to speed up the process. Hope your kids like it! 😀 Eb x
Susie says
Thank you for this recipe. So quick and easy, and a perfect result. I added crispy fried onions to the dough – it was delicious. 🙂
Eb Gargano says
I am delighted to hear that, Susie. Love the crispy fried onions idea 😀 Thanks so much for taking the time to write this comment and especially for the 5 star rating!! Eb 🙂
Ella says
Very delicious!!! I did the 50/50 yogurt/milk trick and it worked great!! Though, if you plan in eating it with salted butter (or other salty things) i recommend reducing the salt a bit (maybe 1tsp instead)
Eb Gargano says
Great to hear! Eb 🙂
Diane UK says
I’ve never made this before but wanted some fresh crusty bread (on a Sunday) for unexpected guests. So quick, absolutely delicious, we all loved it.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear this, Diane. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! Eb 🙂
Cat says
Great recipe but you can use baking powder – baking powder contains the acid already so doesn’t need additional acid to be activated. baking soda needs acid
To be activated hence the buttermilk and lemon combo. Both do the same job of rising the bread.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Cat – thanks for this helpful point. Whilst its true that you can use baking powder to make bread rise, there is also a flavour aspect to using baking soda / acid in soda bread. Both the baking soda and the acid have quite distinct flavours, which give soda bread it’s distinctive ‘tang’. Baking powder generally has a neutral taste and so you don’t get that classic soda bread flavour. I guess if you don’t like that classic soda bread flavour, then baking powder would be a good option… but personally I love the flavour that the baking soda and buttermilk (or lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) bring. If you wanted to use baking powder in this recipe, you would also need to use more of it… I believe the ratio is 3:1 – so in this recipe you would need 3 teaspoons of baking powder, but I’ve never tried this recipe with baking powder, so I don’t 100% know. If you do try this successfully with baking powder, do let us know! Thanks again – Eb 🙂
Daniel Campbell says
I’ve made this today with 350g self raising flour and and 1 teaspoon of baking powder rolled till about 1 inch thick cut into quarters cooked on low heat in none stick frying pan dry no oil for ten mins each side they raise beautifully and are by far the nicest soda I’ve tasted I tryed the plain flour and bakin soda did not come out right at all I put this down till cookin at to high of temperature. But defo give the self raising flur a try u won’t be disappointed 😃
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this Daniel. I imagine made with self-raising flour and cooked in a frying pan, it’s slightly different in taste and texture to my original recipe – but good to hear it’s still very tasty done this way! Eb 🙂
Fiona says
No bread in the house, but a bottle of sour milk and plain flour..it’s in the oven as I speak..?
Eb Gargano says
Yay! Good to hear. Hope it turned out well! Eb 🙂
Steve says
Have you tried making this with potassium cloride as a salt substitute.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Steve – no I am afraid I’ve never tried this with potassium chloride, so I have no idea if it would work or not. Sorry not to be of more help on this occasion. Eb 🙂
Kay Morrison says
I’m so pleased to see soda bread (or soda breed) being given appropriate respect.
I was brought up in Northern Ireland, on the North Antrim coast near the Giant’s Causeway, where my mum made soda breed regularly, using griddle or oven.
While she favoured buttermilk, I now use any other milk (oat/almond/soya) and lemon juice: it works ridiculously well. I love it.
Must make some in the morning!
Thank you very much.
Kay
Eb Gargano says
A pleasure – I’m delighted to get your approval! I am such a big soda bread fan – delicious, easy and fast – what more could you ask for? Eb 🙂
David Johnson says
Thanks for this. We can’t get bread flour at the moment with the panic buying, but did have plain flour. A true find!
Eb Gargano says
Oh that’s really sad. I was in the shops on Saturday and so many of the shelves were completely bare – it was awful. But so pleased you were able to find plain flour so you can make this recipe! Eb 🙂
Jan Pyrke says
This has been a life saver in our house during Coronavirus lockdown. Easy and super delicious.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am delighted to hear that! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Eb 🙂
Shirley says
Can you use semi-skimmed milk to create the buttermilk ? I love the enthusiasm you’ve created, I can’t wait to have a go .
Eb Gargano says
Yes, you can absolutely use semi-skimmed milk. Let me know how you get on! Eb 🙂
Sue says
I just tried to make this and it was too wet. It stuck to my fingers and palms 🙁 where did I go wrong
Eb Gargano says
Ach, yes – that can happen… Different flours have different absorbencies. The best thing to do is add the liquid a little at a time until you get to a sensible dough-like consistency – it should be pretty soft but not toooo sticky. And it should be able to hold its shape. If it goes too sticky, just add a little extra flour until you get it back to the right consistency. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂
A McCabe says
No plain flour can I use self raising instead
Eb Gargano says
Yes and no. Yes you can use self-raising flour in this recipe and it will be edible, however it won’t really turn out like bread – more like a giant scone! Hope you manage to find some plain flour soon. Eb 🙂
Joan Whalen says
Have just made my first loaf can’t wait to try it.Thanks for such a simple recipe.
Eb Gargano says
Yay – delighted to hear that. Hope you enjoy it! Eb 🙂
Sarah Murray says
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Just made it (first time baker, long time admirer of bread) and it’s delicious!!!
Hopefully this will now reassure my mother who has severe bread panic about being in lockdown.
I used unsweetened soy milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice (lemons were left over from pancake day and had seen better days but needs must!) and it worked perfectly. Hope you and yours are all safe.
Cheers
Eb Gargano says
Oh that’s wonderful to hear, Sarah. So happy that it worked out so well for you. I really hope it will reassure your mother too. Eb 🙂
Lisa says
Wanted to make pancakes for breakfast this morning, had no baking powder. So made this soda bread instead. Went down fabulous with eggs and bacon for breakfast. Soooo easy and the substitute for buttermilk worked a treat. Thanks so much
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that. Toy are more than welcome 😀 Hope you manage to make pancakes too, though, soon! Eb 🙂
Alison says
Hi , is it ok to use 0% fat natural yoghurt or would it be best to use full fat natural yoghurt?
Eb Gargano says
Hi Alison, I have never tried it with 0% fat yogurt, so I couldn’t 100% say if it would work or not, but my gut feeling is that it should be absolutely fine. If you do try it with 0% yogurt, I’d love to know how it works out! Eb 🙂
Laraine says
??? Fabulous! I’m used to baking white bloomers, the time consuming kneading and proving seems sometimes endless. So glad to find your recipe, thank you so much for sharing it. We made the buttermilk with milk and white wine vinegar. As a family we had never tried soda bread but its going to be a keeper of a recipe. Just lovely when bread flour is impossible at the moment to buy. Tbh I think I prefer this to bloomers. Happy Easter ?
Eb Gargano says
Yay! Oh I am so happy to hear that. I know exactly what you mean about the time consuming kneading and proving – that’s why I love soda bread so much! And thanks for the 5* rating! Eb 🙂
bill bywater says
hi ,running out of things to do ,so i know make some bread well i think the whole world has the same idea!no ingredients.so checked out google for soda bread followed your recipe as we just had stuff in.wow just amazing tried bread before and never got it near edible but this has made my day.cheers
Eb Gargano says
Oh yay! So happy to hear that. Delighted that it turned out so well for you! Eb 🙂
Vince says
Here in lockdown UK, yeast is rarer than hen’s teeth, so giving this a go ! Thrown a few seeds in the mix too ? No idea how it will come out!
Eb Gargano says
Oh I know! I have had so many people tell me that. Such a nightmare! Jolly good thing soda bread is a thing. Love the idea of adding seeds – I do that too sometimes. Hope it turned out well for you! Eb 🙂
Lizzie says
Hello! This looks fab and I want to try it later! Quick question, I assume I could just halve the recipe to make a smaller loaf? Would the cooking times (or anything else) change?
Many thanks!
Eb Gargano says
Hi Lizzie – yes absolutely you can just halve the quantities for a smaller loaf. It will probably need more than half the baking time, but less than the full baking time. I’ve never actually tried to cook a half loaf, but my guess is it would take about 20-25 minutes. I’d check it at 20 mins and see what you think, then give it an extra 5 mins if it doesn’t quite look done yet. Hope that helps! Eb ?
John Mayoh says
Made this with the original ingredients and it was lovely, second time I substituted 150grams of whole meal bread flour and it turned out just as fabulous I used a half a teaspoon more of soda in this recipe and baked for 35 mins at 200 c fan assisted oven. Very happy bunny
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So pleased it turned out so well for you both times. Eb 🙂
Karen White says
I’ve been making this since we’ve been in lockdown even though I was lucky enough to get yeast in a grocery delivey last week. I have made ‘proper bread’ with yeast (as I got it) but keep coming back to this recipe as it is so incredibly quick and easy. The first couple of times I used milk soured with lemon juice but this time I used buttermilk. I found it needed more liquid when made wiith buttermilk (the full 285ml) than with the soured milk (probably about 250 ml). Just thought that might help someone else.
Flour is getting harder and harder to get, even the speciality flours are selling out as soon as they come in.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, delighted to hear that! It is wonderfully easy, isn’t it? (Though also fab to hear you’ve finally managed to get hold of some yeast!). The flour thing is weird, isn’t it? What is everyone doing with all that flour? At least the good thing about soda bread is you can make it with almost any kind of flour (well, apart from self-raising!) Eb 🙂
Nikki says
Flipping love this easy recipe! So glad you created it and I found it! Second time making today (use milk/lemon juice to make my fake buttermilk). This version I have added chilli flakes, mixed herbs and a bit of sweet paprika ….and poppy seeds on the too. It’s cooking away nicely right now. Thanks again 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay! So happy to hear that 😀 Love the sound of your additions too – sounds delicious! Eb 🙂
Maxine Myers says
Thanks for the recipe! The best one out there. The bread was fabulous!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you! So pleased you think mine is the best one out there – that makes me very happy! Eb 🙂
Debbie Edwards says
Thank you for this recipe. I’d run out of bread and was trying to think of options given it was Monday and given lockdown no more on the horizon until Thursday. My husband didn’t fancy cheese and biscuits so I had a look for soda bread recipes and found yours using plain white flour which I had. That together with the milk a and lemon juice option meant I had all the ingredients. I set to and within 40 mins I had a lovely loaf ready to feed us for lunch. He’d not had soda bread before so found it more dense than our normal bread, but enjoyed the taste and is looking forward to it toasted tomorrow. I wish I’d read the comments before cooking regarding the helpful info on needing less milk and lemon than the buttermilk. Fortunately I didn’t put it all in at once as your notes stated but yes I think 250ml would have been better and would have saved me wasting a little milk. I’ll try making it with even less milk next time as was still a little sticky. If I used crispy onion as suggested could I also add some cheese or would this alter the stability of the mixture? I might try it with just half the mixture as I hate waste especially at the moment. Thanks again I’m certainly recommending this as a tasty quick, limited ingredient, easy option to normal bread making. More of the same please.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Debbie! Thanks for this lovely comment. I am delighted you liked the recipe so much 😀 You can absolutely add some grated cheese into this recipe – it shouldn’t mess too much with stability of the mixture – I recommend adding about 85g / 3oz. Let me know how it goes if you try it! Eb 🙂
Kimberly Mitchell says
I tried this recipe and I really didn’t like the taste or the consistency of the bread. It was like a clump of flour and water that tastes like baking soda. Is there a missing ingredient like sugar and vegan butter?
Eb Gargano says
I am sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe. There are no missing ingredients (although you are welcome to adapt the recipe in any way you fancy!) but soda bread, by very its nature, does have a different texture and taste to regular yeasted bread – it’s not supposed to be exactly the same, so I can understand why you were disappointed, if that was what you were expecting. Soda bread is always much denser than regular bread because the soda/acid combo doesn’t make the bread rise as much as yeast. And taste-wise, yes it does have a slight ‘tang’ from both the acid and the baking soda – this is really what makes soda bread soda bread. Eb 🙂
scarlet w says
Love this recipe. Already passed it to a few peeps after posting photos of it on FB. I used a mix of yogurt and milk and I increased the baking soda by 1/2 a tspas I kept the dough on the wet side. It rose beautifully and made wonderful sandwiches. My housemate who was born in cork said it reminded him of the bread his nannie made. Can’t get better than that!. Thanks!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So pleased you like this recipe so much and delighted to hear it reminded your housemate of the bread his nannie made – I agree, you really can’t get higher praise than that, thank you! Eb 🙂
Paul Clay says
Hi Eb
I’m definitely NOT an experienced cook but managed to produce a really tasty loaf of soda bread for yesterday’s lunch following your recipe.
As others have done, I reduced the quantity of milk/lemon juice slightly to prevent the dough becoming too sticky and Jane and I felt that I had used too much salt for our tastes so I will try 1 teaspoon next time.
The bread was excellent sliced and spread with a generous portion of pate, eaten in the garden in the sunshine listening to the birds singing all around us. Just the food for these strange times.
Oh and the leftovers were lovely toasted and covered with butter and jam this morning for breakfast !
Thank you, and stay safe
Paul
Eb Gargano says
Hi Paul, Thanks for this lovely comment – I am so happy to hear you found this easy to make and you enjoyed it so much! We do indeed live in strange times – but good food is getting us through! (Well it is for me at any rate!!) Stay safe too. Eb 🙂
Keith Hodgson says
Given all the positive feedback I tried this recipe. The bread came out looking reasonable so I was optimistic. However, I tasted awful and was way over salted. I’ve made unleavened simple bread with flour and water which was ok but sadly not this.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Keith, I am so sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy my recipe. Salt is very much a matter of personal preference, so I can understand if this was a bit too salty for your tastes. Perhaps try with half as much salt next time? Was it just the salt that was the issue or was there something else about it that you didn’t like? If it was just the salt, then that’s very easily remedied. But if there was something else, do let me know so I can help you figure out how to make it more to your tastes. Eb 🙂
SEVDA says
I uploaded my first attempt on twitter.
Thank you so much for the easy peasy recipe. I tried a flat bread recipe from another blog claiming it was easy. No it wasn’t! There was kneeding, which I don’t like and I ended up with a ball of dough that would go through steel.
Hopefully in time I can do it like my mother, by eye and feel. No weigh scales and into an oven with no temperature displayed.
Thanks again
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So pleased you enjoyed my recipe 😀
Carmel Sweeney says
Hi in Ireland we make soda Bread and the cross that you make is also to let out the fairest?
Carmel Sweeney says
Faireys
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s so lovely! 😀
SEVDA says
I read the cross is to bless it, Father, son and holy spirit. The you poke the corners with the knife at 11am 2pm 4pm and 7pm to let the fairies out.
Eb Gargano says
Oh, I love that too! Eb 🙂
Angie says
Thank you! Never made Soda Bread before and your recipe was spot on, I added some small chunks of extra mature cheddar to it and crossed my fingers…. Absolutely scrummy! So thank you!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so pleased to hear this 😀 And I love the idea of adding cheddar! Eb 🙂
Neelam Khawni-Connett says
OMG! Never made soda bread before but have always wanted to try it – chose your recipe as looked so simple with easy ingredients already in the house (I used milk and apple cider vinegar) and WOWSERS! It was incredible, impressed everybody, lol, thank you so much! Had to use only 250ml of liquid to form the dough, so will remember that for next time, thank you for the tips also to guide on how to adjust quantities and ingredients xx
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that. Thanks for this lovely feedback and especially the 5* rating! Eb ?
Su says
Love this white soda bread. Hadn’t made soda bread for years but with the lock down couldn’t get any other flour, looked for a recipe for white flour. Found yours! Thankyou a firm favourite in our home.
Eb Gargano says
Aw. thanks for this lovely feedback! I am so delighted to hear that 😀
Thomas Seal says
Great easy recipe but I find that the consistency tends to be really right?
What tip can you suggest ?
Eb Gargano says
Hi Thomas, sorry I think the key word in your comment has been autocorrected! I’m trying to guess what you really meant to say instead of ‘really right’… if you meant it was ‘really tight’ – like really dense, that is the nature of soda bread, I am afraid, not a whole lot you can do about that. If you meant ‘really runny’, then that’s an easy fix – simply reduce the amount of liquid a little – you want a dough that is sticky, but able to hold its shape. If you meant something else, please let me know and I’ll try again! Eb 🙂
Lesley says
I was just surfing around and stumbled on this recipe. As an irish Mammy, raised by an Irish Mammy it is lovely to see the regular old white soda bread recipe with the buttermilk. It’s a rare thing to find to be honest. This is the loaf my Mammy would make when we get the phone call from relatives from Dublin “we are coming up on our way to”….name the place and we had no bread in the house. 5 mins and into the oven and it was on the table with butter and whatever salad or sausages or even just homemade damson jam. I don’t follow a recipe per say, i just throw it all in a bowl like Mammy used to, but THIS is what I do. Gonna make some now actually, before the kids get up (but I’m vegan now so oat milk and vinegar is my go-to. Oat milk, i find, gives a loaf much closer to how Mammy’s tasted all those years ago)
Eb Gargano says
Aw, I love reading this, Lesley – so happy it brought back such lovely memories for you! Eb 🙂
SEVDA says
I make this about once a week. I used no fat Greek yogurt, I bought the wrong one. It came out just the same.
I add about 50 gr of brown flour also which I love. More eating in it as they say.
Going to try adding some cheddar next.
Eb Gargano says
Oh that’s good to hear! Love the idea of adding cheddar 😀
Jan Pyrke says
Still making this, started in March during lockdown, as per previous comment. We no longer buy bread we live on this soda bread recipe. I now make – sun-dried tomato and oregano soda bread, walnut and pumpkin seed soda bread, fresh blueberry soda bread, choc au pain soda bread with Belgian choc chips and sometimes with added sour cherries; and sultana soda bread. All from your recipe still loving it and now buy my flour in 16kg bags ?
Eb Gargano says
Thank you so much for this lovely comment, Jan! I am so delighted you are still regularly making this recipe and I love the sound of your adaptations! They all sound so delicious… but that choc chip and sour cherry one especially! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Eb 🙂
Rosemary says
Would this work as soda rolls, if so at what temperature would you use and for how long please?
Eb Gargano says
It would absolutely work for soda bread rolls! I recommend you make 8 rolls, use exactly the same temperature as stated in the recipe and cook them for about 20 minutes, or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Eb 🙂
Lydia says
Excellent easy recipe. I added olives, Gouda, chorizo and sweet peppers which was beautiful with antipasti
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So happy to hear that. And love the sound of your additions. They sound totally delicious! Eb 🙂
M.Leigh says
This is so good. And marvellous for someone with arthritic hands to find a bread that doesn’t need to be kneaded.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, I am so happy to read this. Thanks for taking the time to let me know 😀
Char says
Quick loaf made this morning. Delicious!!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So happy to hear that 😀
Anne Fitzgerald says
I just made this for the first time as I was going to make brown soda bread but found that the whole meal flour had “ gone off” ( I live in a warm country and flour is difficulty to store)
I grew up I need Ireland and last time I had white soda bread was when my mother baked it circa 1980!
I used milk which had already soured ( as you cant get buttermilk here) with a teaspoon of cream of tartar ( which thickens it and sours fresh milk) but silly me poured the full amount and hence got the sticky consistency, but not one to waste I just added more flour and chucked it in the tin hoping for the best! Well it didn’t look as good as your photo but tastes umm. Warm from the oven with buttery and jam and even nicer than I remember.
Next time I’ll be baking the whole meal variety…….if I can source the flour
Thank you this brought back lovely memories of my Irish childhood!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you for this lovely comment, Anne! I am so happy my recipe brought back such happy memories 😀
Phil Howard says
Hi, am I doing something wrong? When I made this it was very sticky and kept sticking to my hands when I was forming it in to balls. Tasted delicious by the way
Eb Gargano says
Hi Phil, good to hear it tasted delicious! Just reduce the liquid a touch and you should easily solve the stickiness problem. You need enough liquid for it to hold together well, but not so much as it sticks to your hands. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂
Phil Howard says
Hi yes I did and this last dough was mu h better thankyou
Eb Gargano says
Yay! That’s good to hear 😀
Vicki says
Could you use gluten free flour?
Eb Gargano says
I’ve never tested it with gluten free flour, but it ought to work fine. You might just want to add a teaspoon of xanthan gum to the mix, if the GF flour you are using does not contain xanthan gum. Let me know how you get on! Eb 🙂
Vicki says
I used your recipe with my Brownie group over Zoom last night and everyone created a delicious looking loaf. Some doughs were a bit dry so we added a tiny bit of water, some were too wet so we put more flour in, but they all worked in the end, including the one with gluten free flour. I even got a FaceBook post from one Brownie mum saying how proud her daughter was with her loaf. Excellent recipe; will definitely use again!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, I am so delighted to hear that! That’s so lovely. Thank you so much for sharing this with me! Eb 🙂
Donna says
This is fab recipe. Love that you put in details( teaspoon) as some people don’t know what the abbreviations are. So easy and cooks well, definitely 30 mins
Thankyou
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Donna! Glad you enjoyed it. And yes, I always try my best to make my recipes as easy as possible to follow – as you so rightly say, not everyone knows all the abbreviations are, or what all the technical cooking terms mean! Eb 🙂
RT says
Yes white soda bread is tasty especially warm with lots of butter. No need for all the experimentation with flour though. This is a basic irish soda recipe known to most irish mammys ? enjoy
Eb Gargano says
Oh I so agree about it being delicious warm with butter. I must confess though, I love experimenting with this basic recipe! I’ve made many kinds: wholemeal, rye, granary… with added seeds and cheese and so on. It works so well in all its variations! Eb 🙂
Noah says
Going to try this tonight! FWIW, the bread flour likely failed to produce a nice loaf because it has a higher gluten content, which is very “tough” and the leavening of the baking soda is much faster and gentler than yeast. It’s why yeast breads have to rise multiple times before baking, but you get a chewier bread. An AP flour has moderate gluten content, so if you wanted a lighter loaf for some reason, cake/pastry flour could possibly work. Might make for a strange texture…more like an American breakfast biscuit…could be good if you wanted to make little mini loaves though!
Eb Gargano says
Hope you liked it! And thanks for this. What you say makes a lot of sense. Eb 🙂
H E says
Fab easy bread recipe, I’ve made it several times now and it always comes out great. I added a handful of oats and some nigella seeds to my last lot.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks for this lovely review! So pleased you like it so much… and loving the sound of those additions! Eb 🙂
David 6640 says
Sorry to say, far too salty, to the point we could not eat it!
Eb Gargano says
I am sorry to hear that… and quite surprised. It’s a very similar amount of salt to that which you would find in shop-bought bread. In any case, at least it is an easy fix for you. I hope you try it again (with less salt!) and enjoy it much better next time.
Katie Millard says
There is just one thing you have forgotten to do, youonce you have cut the cross, stab each quarter with the point of the knife to release the fairies, which brings you and your family luck. An old Irish tradition.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, what a lovely tradition!
Phil says
I tried the recipe, using buttermilk bought at my local supermarket, rather than using milk and lemon juice / vinegar. I have two observations:
1. it turned out really well and although I have only baked it once, it appears to be pretty much gfoolproof.
2. It makes really nice bacon sandwiches. My son and wife both said they would like it again, so it must be doing something right!
I really like the fact it uses store cupboard ingredients and gives a really good result.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Phil, thanks for taking the time to write this lovely review – and especially for the 5 stars! I am so pleased you liked the recipe… and I LOVE the idea of using this bread to make bacon sandwiches… I have never done that, but now I really need to try it out – thanks for the tip! Eb 🙂
Maureen Cleere says
I have tried your recipe and it so incredibly simple to make and delicious to eat. My mother used to make white soda bread when I was growing up in Ireland. She also made a sweet version which I have used with your recipe and it too turned out yummy.
For the sweet version don’t add salt Instead add about a tablespoon of sugar and a handful of raisins with just a little extra bicarbonate of soda (about a 1/4 teaspoon)
When I take soda bread out of the oven I always cover it with a slightly damp tea towel, that way you don’t get a hard crust.
Eb Gargano says
That’s so good to hear! I love the sound of the sweet/raisin version. I need to try that! And thanks for the damp tea towel trick 😀 I actually really like the hard crust, but many of my readers prefer a softer crust, so I will be able to pass your excellent tip on! Eb 🙂
Jo Louise says
I think I found your soda bread 🍞 recipe, just wanted to say a big thank you 😊 I’m eating it and it’s lovely (I’m rubbish in the kitchen lol) xx
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s so great to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review… and especially for the 5* rating! 😀
Ella says
I would like to ammend my previous comment, as I had to throw out the rest of the loaf due to the high salt level. It was too salty to eat even on it’s own and I like salty foods. I will be making it again, but just with 1/2tsp salt.
Eb Gargano says
I am so sorry to hear that. The salt level is similar to the salt level in commercially made bread, but I appreciate we all have different tastes. At least it’s an easy fix for next time! Eb 🙂
Chux Uchendu says
Went the milk + cider vinegar route .. Didn’t seem to be enough liquid and wasn’t as sticky as recipes I’d used in the past .. Wondered why the quantities of liquid are so different when using milk and vinegar as apposed to the buttermilk route?
Eb Gargano says
Hmm – that is strange. I have made this recipe literally hundreds of times with the milk + cider combo and it’s always the perfect consistency – the reason the quantities are different is because is buttermilk is thicker than milk so you need more of it to achieve the same consistency of dough. That said, flour does vary in absorbency, so that might explain things. Also your dough doesn’t need to be especially sticky. But if you do feel it’s really too dry, you can always add a splash more water. How did the finished loaf turn out?
Dave Jones says
Hi,
Tried your Soda Bread recipe today, (Sat 29th Apr 2023), and upped the salt level as suggested.
It is … (sorry, make that ‘was’) … gorgeous !
Will definitely be baking this again !
Many thanks, Take Care …
Eb Gargano says
Yay – I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this lovely review… and thanks especially for the 5* rating! Eb 🙂
Sarah says
Hi, I used your recipe with my cub pack last night. I tried it during the week to test it, after using another recipe with had wholemeal flour and said to cut a small cross in the top. Those were dreadful! Your recipe however is brilliant. Lots of our cubs were away at a school disco so only had 11. They worked in small groups so divided the dough into 4 or 3 to make smaller rolls. One parent helper who had made soda bread before was in charge of baking. They took about 20-25 mins and turned out brilliantly! The cubs coped fine with the recipe and enjoyed the activity. Some didn’t like getting sticky hands, but others went at it full gusto! I bought far too much buttermilk just in case, so now making pancakes.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! I am so happy this recipe went down well with your cub scouts – what a wonderful activity for them. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review and thanks especially for the 5* rating!
Ann-Marie Skill says
Thanks for posting this recipe, really pleased with results.
Eb Gargano says
Great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀
Catherine Laing says
What a fabulous blog. Thanks so much for doing all the research and giving a wonderful recipe.
I really appreciate it.
Merci beaucoup from Catherine in Brittany, France
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you so much for this lovely message 😀 I’m delighted you like my blog so much!
David McDonnell says
Wondering why there is a big difference in liquid volume with buttermilk 285ml or milk+lemon juice (200ml+15ml)? I went with the latter and found I didn’t have enough liquid.
Eb Gargano says
Good question! The answer is that buttermilk is thicker, so you need more of it to make the correct texture of dough. I’ve experimented on dozens of occasions with both buttermilk and milk+lemon juice and always found the quantities I specify in the recipe to be just right – producing an identical dough texture, even though the liquid quantities are different. However, as I mention in the recipe notes, flour does vary in absorbency, so if you find your dough is a little dry, simply add a splash more milk. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂