This incredibly easy bread puts other 'easy' breads to shame. But you don't have to sacrifice on taste just because it is easy! This delicious bread has a thin crunchy crust and a dense cake-like consistency. Once you start making this bread you won't be able to stop!

Irish Soda Bread cooked in a loaf tin.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients
170 g wholemeal self-raising flour
170 g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
290 ml buttermilk
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 for fan forced).
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk into it.
Stir the mixture until combined. Switch to hands to very lightly knead the mixture into one lump in the bowl. This bread does not require kneading.

All ingredients have been combined. Time to give it a light kneed in the bowl to shape it for cooking.
If making a free-form bread, shape the mixture into a ball and place on a floured tray and flatten the top slightly. Score the loaf with an 'X' on the top.

Free-form Irish Soda Bread dough ready for the oven.
If using a loaf tin, shape the lump into a rectangular shape and place in a greased loaf tin.
Cook the bread for 30 minutes in the oven. A hollow sounding tap on the bread indicates it is cooked.
Allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.

Cooked free-form Irish Soda Bread
Enjoy with butter hot from the oven or once it has cooled.

Sliced free-form Irish Soda Bread
The free-form loaf is visually pleasing and requires no special loaf tin, but by using a loaf tin this bread becomes foolproof with evenly cooked, consistently shaped slices.
If you like this recipe why not also try my
Irish Soda Bread Muffins recipe. They use soda and buttermilk too, but have a completely different taste. If you think this bread tastes amazing, wait until you try the muffins!
Categories
#Easy
#Simple
#Baking
#Bread
#Buttermilk
#Irish