These two easy Irish Soda Bread recipes are made with the same ingredients, in different proportions, using different methods, resulting in two very different, but equally delicious irish soda breads! 

I grew up making Irish Soda Bread with my mom for St. Paddy’s Day. She would always prepare a dinner of corned beef and cabbage and a few loafs of Irish Soda Bread on the side. Trying to please everyone’s taste buds we would make a Loaf Pan Irish Soda Bread which turns out moister and a Kneaded Irish Soda Bread which is sweeter and drier.

Easy Loaf Pan Irish Soda Bread

What is Irish Soda Bread?

Irish Soda Bread is a bread make with simple ingredients. The “soda” comes from the reaction between the buttermilk and baking soda in the dough that forms tiny bubbles in the bread.  It’s a quick bread made with basic ingredients. It does not contain yeast, so it does not require time to rise.

How to make Loaf Pan Irish Soda Bread

Start off by creaming together the sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Next, add the oil and buttermilk. In a medium sized bowl mix together the dry ingredients, raisins and caraway seeds. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until well incorporated. There is no need to use an electric or hand mixer, you can easily mix with a spoon. Transfer the batter to a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan that is lined with parchment paper and put in the oven to bake at 350°F for about an hour. The bread should get golden brown on top and a knife when inserted into the center should come out clean.

Easy Loaf Pan Irish Soda Bread

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• Author: Sprinkles and Sea Salt

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Description

A moister Irish Soda Bread made with buttermilk. 

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Ingredients

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• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 3 cups sifted white all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp pearl sugar (optional)

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a 9″ by 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper
3. In a large bowl, use a whisk to cream together eggs and sugar
4. Add oil and buttermilk
5. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
6. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, mixing until well incorporated
7. Mix in raisins and caraway seeds (optional)
8. Pour batter into loaf pan
9. Sprinkle with pearl sugar, if desired
10. Bake for 50-60 minutes
11. Allow to cool
12. Slice and enjoy

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What are the differences between the loaf pan and kneaded recipes?

Both of these recipes are made with flour, sugar, buttermilk, egg(s), vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, raisins and the optional caraway seeds. The loaf pan recipe uses more eggs and buttermilk and less flour, making it moister than the kneaded loaf. The kneaded recipe has more sugar, so it is sweeter than the loaf pan bread.

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Simple Kneaded Irish Soda Bread

Which bread is better?

It is amazing how different these breads turn out given how similar they appear just by glancing at the recipes.

In general, the kneaded bread is my preference because it is sweeter and I have a sweet tooth 🙂 However, the breads serve different purposes. The loaf pan recipe is better for slicing and enjoying warm with butter and jam. I like to eat it more as a breakfast bread, whereas the kneaded version would be my choice with corned beef and cabbage or another heavy dish like Irish stew. Since it is drier in texture it can be served in the place of a biscuit and dipped in soup or used to sop up juices from meat and vegetables.

When it comes down to real, authentic Irish Soda Bread I couldn’t say if either of these loafs really fit the bill. However, they are what I grew up with, so they are traditional to me and that is in fact all that matters.

How to make Kneaded Irish Soda Bread

Start off by combining all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, cream together the wet ingredients. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Use a spoon to mix everything together as best as you can. Then transfer the dough to a floured surface and use your clean hands to knead the dough until everything is well combined and you can form the dough into a loaf. Transfer loaf to a parchment lined baking sheet and slice a cross into the top of the loaf. Bake for 40-50 minutes until bread is lightly browned on top and a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center.

Simple Kneaded Irish Soda Bread

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• Author: Sprinkles and Sea Salt

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Description

Kneaded by hand, this Simple Kneaded Irish Soda Bread is sweet and dry.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3.5 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 tbs caraway seeds (optional)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp pearl sugar (optional)

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. In a large bowl mix together 3 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda
4. Add raisins and caraway seeds (optional), set aside
5. In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil
6. Make a well in the dry ingredient mixture and pour in the wet ingredients
7. Mix as well as you can with a spoon
8. Sprinkle some of the reserved 1/2 cup flour onto a clean, dry surface
9. Place dough on the flour
10. Sprinkle dough with some more flour
11. Knead dough for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed, until dough is no longer sticky
12. Form dough into a smooth mound and place on baking sheet
13. Cut a cross on the top of the loaf with a knife
14. Sprinkle with pearl sugar (optional)
15. Bake for 40-50 minutes
16. Bread is done when slightly browned on the top and knife comes out dry
17. Use serrated knife to slice bread, it should be hard

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Looking for more St. Paddy’s Day food inspiration? Check out these Leftover Corned Beef Reubens!