Sourdough Irish Soda Bread
This Sourdough Irish Soda Bread is a flavorful twist on traditional Irish Soda Bread - tender, lightly tangy and baked with a beautiful golden crust using sourdough starter for extra tenderness and flavor.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl - for mixing the dough.
- Dough scraper or spatula (optional) - for combining the dough. I love these dough spatulas linked here.
- Box grater or pastry cutter - for the butter. I like this grater linked here.
- Digital kitchen scale (optional) - for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking. I linked the one I like here.
- Measuring cups and spoons - if not using a scale, and for smaller ingredients.
- Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, or pie pan Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, or pie pan- to bake the soda bread. This 9-inch cast iron skillet is the one I always reach for!
- Parchment paper - to line the pan to keep the soda bread from sticking.
- Sharp knife or bread lame - to score the dough to guide where to dough rises. This lame is a great one to start off with.
- Instant-read thermometer (optional) - to assess when the soda bread is done. I use this digital thermometer linked here almost daily
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 (375g) cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 3 (45g) Tbspns granulated white sugar
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/4 (57g) cup cold unsalted butter
- 1/2 (120g) cup sourdough discard cold
- 1 (260g) cup buttermilk cold
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Dough
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.3 (375g) cups all-purpose flour, 3 (45g) Tbspns granulated white sugar, 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, 1 teaspoons baking soda
- Using a box grater, grate your cold butter into small bits. You can also cut the butter into small 1/4 inch cubes and use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dough.1/4 (57g) cup cold unsalted butter
- Mix the butter bits into the dry ingredients. The goal is for their to be small pea-sized bits of butter throughout the dry ingredients.
- Create a little dent or well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in your cold sourdough discard and the cold buttermilk.1/2 (120g) cup sourdough discard, 1 (260g) cup buttermilk
- Mix the dough gently with your hands or a dough spatula until a shaggy dough forms. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky. If the dough is very dry add 1 Tablespoon of buttermilk at a time till the dough just comes together. If the dough feels too wet, dust it with flour and gently mix to absorb a bit of the moisture. Go slow adding anything extra to the dough, we want just enough to achieve the right consistency.
- Bring the dough together until it forms a cohesive ball. The dough ball should be roughly 6-7 inches wide and about 2 inches tall.
- Note: Soda bread should not be kneaded like yeasted bread, or it will make the dough tough.
- Optional Cold Fermentation: If you want to give this dough a cold ferment, wrap the ball of dough tightly in plastic (you don't want any air reaching the dough). Air will work with the soda and create a greyish looking dough. Transfer the tightly wrapped dough to the refrigerator and allow it to rest overnight or until you're ready to bake the soda bread the next day.
Step 2: Bake the Soda Bread
- Preheat oven to: 400°F (204°C).
- You can use a Dutch oven, cast iron skillet, or a pie pan to bake your soda bread.
- Gather a piece of parchment paper, and lightly spray it with cooking oil and a little dusting of flour.
- Transfer the dough ball to the parchment paper, and cut or "score" and X design on top of the soda bread about 1/2 inch deep. This guides the soda bread on where to expand while it's baking.
- Transfer the loaf with the parchment paper to the baking vessel you're using, and place in the hot preheated oven.
- Bake the soda bread for about 45 minutes, you'll know it's done when the crust is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature is 200–205°F. If the loaf is starting to brown too much while it's baking, tent the top with foil and complete baking the bread.
- Transfer the hot bread to a cooling rack and allow it to cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving. Soda bread is best enjoyed with butter and jam with breakfast, or buttered as a side with dinner!
- Yields 1 loaf
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!