Last updated on March 14th, 2023 at 07:20 pm

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” We’ve all heard that proverb by Plato before, but did you know that it can be applied to Irish Soda Bread? As we move closer to St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we’d share the history of Irish Soda Bread and a recipe or two.  My dad was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  And while technically, he would be considered British, he loves Irish culture, and especially his soda bread! So I thought I would take the time to learn more about it.

Native Americans actually created the first soda bread. This was a surprise to me. Native Americans used pearl ash, made from the ashes of wood to create a natural form of soda. Think of it as an early form of baking soda.  Soda can leaven breads without the presence of yeast, which would become important in later years for the Irish population. It wouldn’t be until the late 1830’s when the first iteration of baking soda (bicarbonate soda) was introduced to the U.K., leading to the creation of Irish Soda Bread.

Ireland was going through tough financial times and there was a lack of access to ingredients.  This is where “necessity” comes into play. There was a need for families to make the most out of basic and inexpensive ingredients. Soda bread ingredients feature “soft” wheat flour, baking soda, salt and soured milk. Buttermilk replaces sour milk today. “Soft” wheat flour varies from hard wheat flour, used more in quick breads than hard wheat flour used in yeasted breads.  It worked out well because Ireland’s climate is only suitable for growing soft wheat.

Limited access to ovens and cooking equipment led to the baking of Irish soda bread in iron pots, griddles or open hearths.  This cooking method resulted in the signature dense texture, hard crust and slight sourness, all the characteristics that make Irish soda bread so loved today.

A fun fact is that soda bread is traditionally marked with a cross on the top for superstitious reasons.  Families believed if they cut a cross on the top of the bread that it would ward off evil and protect the household.  The shape of soda bread varies by region.  The southern regions bake their loaves in the traditional fashion, round with a crossed top.  The Northern regions divide their dough into four pieces and cook triangle-shaped flat breads (known as Farl) on a griddle. The Irish are very serious about their soda bread. There’s even a Society for the Preservation of Soda Bread, dedicated to protecting this national treasure.

Making Irish Soda Bread

So, by now you might be getting pretty hungry thinking of that soda bread, slathered in butter (especially if it’s Kerrygold butter).  I started making soda bread for my dad several years ago. Not until I did the research for this article, did I realize I had been taking the “easy way out” by using a recipe that was not the traditional soda bread. I will share that recipe, because it’s easy and quite tasty, but I will also share my experience making a true, traditional soda bread.

I started searching for a recipe that had the traditional ingredients plus raisins. My dad loves raisins, so I wanted to include them, even though they are outside of the “traditional recipe”. That said, you will find a lot of recipes that include raisins.

I finally settled on a recipe entitled “Mom’s Irish Soda Bread” on allrecipes.com.

How did the Irish Soda Bread turn out?

The recipe was pretty easy to make. I had all the ingredients with the exception of buttermilk and raisins, which are easy to pick up.

The directions were very easy to follow and took just about the 20 minutes which was what the recipe suggested. I may have taken a little longer, just to be sure that I didn’t miss a step. I usually do this when making a recipe for the first time.

Yes, I am a messy cook. This is pretty typical for my counters when I am making something

The original recipe I referred to earlier is also on allrecipes.com. The name of this recipe is “Irish Soda Bread I“. What I like about this recipe is that it makes two traditional shaped loaves, so it’s great for a large group or party. It also uses sour cream instead of buttermilk, so the chances are much greater of you having all the ingredients in your house already.

If you want to try a true, more authentic recipe, try this one from The New York Times Cooking. The recipe was adapted by Darina Allen, an Irish television personality and the owner of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, Ireland.

Have you ever made Irish Soda Bread? Does your family have traditional holiday foods? Let us know in the comments below.

And if you like this post, check out our post on our Grandma Rose, who used to cook at the Good Housekeeping Institute. We’ve included her “famous” mac-n-cheese recipe at end of the post too!