The simple keys to replicating delicious Irish brown soda bread at home

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There’s something about the brown soda bread in Ireland. Ask anyone who has visited the Emerald Isle and they will tell you: the bread is So different from what we are used to at home. It’s soft, yet dense and also slightly crumbly: a hearty and delicious addition to any meal. Add a dollop of butter and jam to a slice and you have a snack fit for a king. Enjoy it with chowder or soup, or make an egg or smoked salmon sandwich. You really can’t go wrong! The bread improves everything it touches, and is so ubiquitous across the country that its absence is quite noticeable when you return to the United States.

The good news? You don’t have to go without it anymore! Authentic Irish brown soda bread is surprisingly easy to make. In Ireland Dromoland Castle – a luxury five-star hotel with a stunning parkland golf course in County Clare – brown bread is served with virtually every entree, and chef David McCann shared his thoughts on what makes Irish soda bread so special.

“Soda bread is more than just food; it is linked to Irish identity and hospitality,” said McCann. “Many Irish households still bake it regularly, and it is served with soups and stews, or simply with butter and jam. Irish flour is traditionally made from soft wheat, which does not mix well with yeast, but is perfect for soda-risen bread.”

There is also a history component to the bread.

“Soda bread became popular in Ireland in the early 19th century, when baking soda was first introduced as a cheap and reliable leavening agent,” says McCann. “The poorer rural families in Ireland often lacked ovens and expensive ingredients such as yeast or refined flour. Soda bread could be made with basic ingredients – flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk – and baked on a griddle or in a bastible pot (a type of cast iron pot over the fire) in the Dutch oven.”

While sourdough bread has been in the spotlight here in the United States during the pandemic, Irish soda bread is another easy-to-make staple at home. Some practical tips from McCann include adding a little sunflower oil for moisture, and being careful not to overwork the dough.

“In the Dromoland recipe we say, ‘No need to knead!’” McCann said. “We work the dough very little, let it be quite liquid and bake it in a baking tin lined with baking paper. Just follow the recipe and make sure the mixture is wet. You also need to preheat the oven, which is very important.”

There’s only one thing left to remember: the score at the top.

“My mother once told me that the traditional cut off at the top isn’t just for appearance,” McCann said. “It ensures that the bread bakes evenly, and folklore has it that this is to ‘let the fairies out’.”

Sounds like a good reason to add the cuts! Ready to bake your own bread? McCann shared Dromoland’s recipe below. And if you’re looking for the perfect accompaniment, check out his delicious seafood chowder recipe here.

Brown bread from Dromoland Castle

Makes 2 pounds of bread

Ingredients

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup plain flour
1 tbsp bran
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon bread soda
Pinch of salt
1/6 cup sunflower oil
1 egg
1.5 cups buttermilk

Method:

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture, add the oil, buttermilk and egg and mix everything together.

Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Turn out onto a rack and let cool.

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