Buttermilk soda bread is a simple baking skill that anyone can do. It’s a great introduction to making bread for the first time, as no yeast is required. The texture is denser than bread made with yeast but is just as good and hearty to eat.
To make the dough rise, it relies on the interaction between the Bicarbonate of soda and the acid in buttermilk, which you can make for yourself using milk at room temperature, or buy from the supermarket.
During the weeks of very cold weather, I would make homemade soup from whatever veg I have in my fridge, and while it was cooking, I would make this very simple white Soda Bread to go with it.
While Soda Bread is best eaten on the day it is made, it will taste just as good the next day if you slice and toast it for breakfast with jam or marmalade or warm it up again in the oven at the same time that you re heat any remaining soup, on the hob, from the previous day.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used for making this recipe, with possible alternatives and why I may have used them. A full list can be found in the instructions below.
- Flour - I used White Spelt flour for this recipe, but you can use plain white/all-purpose flour.
- Bicarbonate of soda - This reacts with the buttermilk, which helps the dough rise.
- Salt - I prefer to use crushed Sea Salt or crushed rock salt. Table salt is fine as an alternative.
- Buttermilk - Try this Easy Way to Make Buttermilk if you cannot get hold of it in the shops and have a glut of milk that needs to be used up.
Step by Step Instructions
To make soda bread with buttermilk, follow these step by step instructions.
Equipment
- 1 Baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 450 g white spelt flour or plain white flour
- 1 level teaspoon crushed sea salt or crushed rock salt
- 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 350 ml buttermilk.
Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6 oven and have ready a baking tray lined with baking parchment or a silicone baking sheet.
Step 1: Sieve together the flour, salt, bicarbonate, and soda into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk. Using your hands, bring all the ingredients together until you have a soft but not too sticky dough. Tip: Work quickly, and do not over-mix the dough.
Step 2: Place the dough onto a prepared baking tray and make a deep cross in the centre. Irish folklore says that doing this lets the fairies out, or they may bring bad luck to your bread!
Bake in the centre of the preheated (hot) oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until baked golden on the outside and baked in the centre. It should sound hollow when you tap the base of the soda bread. I test all my loaves using a thermometer around 94 - 95 deg and I consider it done.
Serve this old fashioned buttermilk soda bread while still warm, with salted butter and jam. Or with soup as a light lunch on a very cold day.
Storage
Room Temperature - I find soda bread is best eaten on the day it is made. It will store in an airtight container for a few days. Gently reheat in a moderate oven if you wish, or toast a few slices for breakfast the next day.
Freeze - I imagine it would freeze well, but this is not something I have tried.
Tips and Faq
Tip 1: Work quickly when mixing the soda bread ingredients, and do not over-mix the dough.
What Makes Soda Bread Rise?
The reaction of the bicarbonate of soda and the acidity in buttermilk makes soda bread dough rise in the oven. Once the buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda are mixed together with the dry ingredients, you need to work quickly.
How to make Buttermilk Soda Bread
Equipment
- 1 Baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 450 g white spelt flour or plain white flour
- 1 level teaspoon crushed sea salt or crushed rock salt
- 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 350 ml buttermilk.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6 oven and have ready a baking tray lined with baking parchment or a silicone baking sheet.
- Sieve together the flour, salt, bicarbonate, and soda into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk. Using your hands, bring all the ingredients together until you have a soft but not too sticky dough. Tip: Work quickly, and do not over-mix the dough.450 g white spelt flour or plain white flour, 1 level teaspoon crushed sea salt or crushed rock salt, 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 350 ml buttermilk.
- Place the dough onto a prepared baking tray and make a deep cross in the centre. Irish folklore says that doing this lets the fairies out, or they may bring bad luck to your bread!
- Bake in the centre of the preheated (hot) oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until baked golden on the outside and baked in the centre. It should sound hollow when you tap the base of the soda bread. I test all my loaves using a thermometer around 94 - 95 deg and I consider it done.
- Fresh baked Soda Bread with butter and strawberry jam on a plate.
- Bread with butter and strawberry jam, served on a plate with sliced homemade bread in the background, perfect for breakfast or tea time with fresh strawberry fruit spread.
- Serve this old fashioned buttermilk soda bread while still warm, with salted butter and jam. Or with soup as a light lunch on a very cold day.
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