Sourdough Irish Soda Bread

This sourdough version of traditional Irish soda bread comes together in just 1 hour and 15 minutes from start to finish! The addition of sourdough starter to the dough adds flavor and digestibility to the finished product.

Why This Recipe Works

Irish soda bread is technically a “quick bread” which using baking soda instead of yeast or sourdough starter to rise. The baking soda reacts with the buttermilk (an acidic ingredient) inside the dough, creating C02 gas, which causes the bread to rise while it bakes. The sourdough starter included in this recipe is more of a flavoring agent in this case. It brings flavor and digestibility to the bread, but doesn’t cause it to rise.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• All-Purpose Flour: Lower protein wheat flours are traditionally used in Irish soda breads. For the US kitchen, that means choosing an all-purpose flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour for this recipe, but the King Arthur brand flour works great too.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is essential for making Irish soda bread rise. Choose a low-fat or full-fat buttermilk. This is a fermented milk product available in most US supermarkets. If you can’t find it, keep reading below for acceptable substitutions.
• Sourdough Starter: I used my 100% hydration sourdough starter for this recipe. You can use active sourdough starter that has doubled in size, or you can also use sourdough discard that has fallen past its peak. Since the sourdough starter won’t be making this quick bread rise, the strength of the starter isn’t that important.
• Salt: I use Kosher salt, but sea salt and plain table salt will work as well.
• Baking Soda: This is the chemical leavening agent that makes this bread rise. Make sure to use “baking soda” (bicarbonate of soda) and NOT “baking powder” for a traditional loaf of sourdough Irish soda bread.

Note: Check recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and quantities.

Substitutions and Additions

• Whole Wheat Flour: You can substitute up to half of the white flour for whole wheat flour. This will change the flavor and feel of the dough and be more similar to a “brown” sourdough Irish soda bread.
• Bread Flour: If you don’t have all-purpose flour, you can use bread flour instead. The higher protein content of bread flour isn’t ideal, but it won’t be that noticeable in this recipe.
• Buttermilk Substitutes: If you are unable to find buttermilk, you can mix together two-thirds regular milk and one-third plain greek yogurt to get a decent buttermilk substitute. The yogurt will provide acid and a texture that’s very similar to buttermilk. You can also add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk or non-dairy milk. This will give you a buttermilk substitute that works in a pinch, but it will have a more liquid consistency than real buttermilk.

How to Make Sourdough Irish Soda Bread

Ingredient Amounts

• All-Purpose Flour – 450 grams
• Buttermilk – 350 grams
• Sourdough Starter, active or discard – 100 grams
• Salt – 5 grams (3/4 tsp.)
• Baking Soda – 5 grams (3/4 tsp.)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the buttermilk and active sourdough starter (or sourdough discard). Stir these two ingredients together thoroughly with a fork, whisk, or dough whisk. You don’t want any lumps of starter to remain or else they might show up in the final bread.
3. Once the starter has dissolved into the buttermilk, add the flour, salt, and baking soda directly on top of the wet ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together and then slowly incorporate them into the wet ingredients.
4. When the ingredients come together to form a shaggy dough, knead very gently with your hands to pick up any dry bits of flour that are left. Knead as little as is necessary to pick up the dry flour. Over-kneading can lead to a chewy loaf instead of a tender and light soda bread.
5. Grease a cast iron pan with a small amount of butter or oil and transfer the dough onto the pan. Alternatively, you can transfer the dough onto a baking sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
6. Round out the dough and then flatten it a little bit with your hands. Score the dough across the top in a cross pattern with a serrated bread knife. Then, move the dough immediately into the middle rack of your preheated oven.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 450°F (232°C) until the dough reaches an internal temperature of at least 190°F (around 90°C).
8. Let the bread cool for 20-30 minutes on the counter before cutting and serving. Serve with a slather of rich Irish butter and your favorite apple butter or jam.

From start to finish, this sourdough Irish soda bread only took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to make! This might be the ultimate last-minute bread.

FAQs about Sourdough Irish Soda Bread

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Yield: 1 loaf

Sourdough Irish Soda Bread

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Additional Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour - 450 grams
• Buttermilk - 350 grams
• Sourdough Starter, active or discard - 100 grams
• Salt - 5 grams (3/4 tsp.)
• Baking Soda - 5 grams (3/4 tsp.)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the buttermilk and active sourdough starter (or sourdough discard). Stir these two ingredients together thoroughly with a fork, whisk, or dough whisk. You don't want any lumps of starter to remain or else they might show up in the final bread.
   
3. Once the starter has dissolved into the buttermilk, add the flour, salt, and baking soda directly on top of the wet ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together and then slowly incorporate them into the wet ingredients.
4. When the ingredients come together to form a shaggy dough, knead very gently with your hands to pick up any dry bits of flour that are left. Knead as little as is necessary to pick up the dry flour. Over-kneading can lead to a chewy loaf instead of a tender and light soda bread.
5. Grease a cast iron pan with a small amount of butter or oil and transfer the dough onto the pan. Alternatively, you can transfer the dough onto a baking sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
6. Round out the dough and then flatten it a little bit with your hands. Score the dough across the top in a cross pattern with a serrated bread knife. Then, move the dough immediately into the middle rack of your preheated oven.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 450°F (232°C) until the dough reaches an internal temperature of at least 190°F (around 90°C).
8. Let the bread cool for 20-30 minutes on the counter before cutting and serving. Serve with a slather of rich Irish butter and your favorite apple butter or jam.