Irish Soda Bread I

Very good - as everyone said - it's a little cake-like, but definitely has the texture of a soft bread. And once it's toasted, it's out of this world (slice it thick b4 toasting). The sweetness is sublte onced it's done - just how we like it. (Similar to sweet Hawaiin bread) I use either currants or small dried blueberries. I think raisins are too big for this bread. I've also used this to make french toast. Slice it then let it sit out for a day to get drier. Taste and texture is like brioche. I've also added a little buttermilk or milk, whatever I have one hand, when my dough is a litte too dry About 1-2 tablespoons at most. (1 pint sour cream = 2 cups) Tip- cover tightly with foil after it's done and let it steam for 30 min. or longer. This will lock in the moisture. A trick for all loaf breads.

Wonderful! I considered using other recipes but decided on this one because I didn't have buttermilk, which seems to be used in most recipes. This is moist and dense and has a lovely texture. I added 2 tablespoons of caraway seeds and shaped the loaves into freeform rounds on a greased baking sheet (wet your hands with a bit of cold water to facilitate shaping). I also used a pastry brush to apply some melted butter halfway through the baking time. The breads were golden and crusty and absolutely delicious. I will definitely make this again - and not just on St. Patrick's Day - as a base for bread pudding. No caraway seeds, of course. :)

An interesting version of Irish soda bread, but too cake-like for my taste and with far too many raisins. One cup would be about right, I think.

Fantastic tasting recipe! I have made the same Irish Soda Bread for years. I couldn't find the recipe this year and tried this one. I love it. I like the cake-like texture! A Keeper

Not really Irish Soda Bread but very good and easy. I used low fat sour cream and it came out just great.

Best irish bread, added caraway seeds for real irish flavor. Easy to put together.

This looks good but I have one question: Do you really make this Irish Soda Bread with no milk at all?

This bread was extremely easy to make. It's sweeter and runnier than normal soda bread so I had to make it in a loaf pan. Good for breakfast or a snack.

Very quick and easy to prepare, and incredibly delicious! Cakelike, though not overly sweet, it can be enjoyed any time. It goes VERY quickly in my house!

This was the 1st time I made Irish Soda Bread & I loved it. I took the loaves to work & everyone who had a piece asked for the recipe. I also added caraway seeds. Fantastic

Used lowfat plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Tasty, nice texture. Quick and easy.

This recipe turned out great! I did do a few modifications based on other recipes and what was on hand but the end result was as close to perfect as I'm gonna get. First, I didn't have a full pint of sour cream so I substituted part buttermilk. As another reviewer said, the end result was too moist, so I added flour enough to work the dough. I set the convection oven for 350 because 325 seemed low. Instead of bread pans, I used two cast iron frying pans, as is - no grease, no flour. I sifted the dry ingredients a couple of times for even distribution of the ingredients. Then mixed in the wet ingredients just a little bit with a handful of raisins and maybe a tablespoon of caraway seeds. Then barely kneaded the dough and wasted no time getting the end result into the oven. Usually my soda breads come out a little bit dense and a little heavy. Not this one. It was nice and light, which was probably due to cutting way back on the mixing and kneading. Another recipe noted that the baking soda starts working as soon as it hits the buttermilk/sour cream and its important to work fast.

My family is very Irish. My maiden name is O'Hern and my mother's is McCabe. My husband's family is McCoullough, and McDounough. Trust me I have tried MANY Irish Soda bread recipes...none as moist and tasty as this one! A must try!!! Can't wait to tell my mother-in-law that I found a recipe better than hers. hehe!

Loved it! Family Loved it! Never had soda bread before. It reminded me of a sweet raisin bread. Great warmed with butter. I cut the recipe in half which made only 1 loaf. Used 1 cup sour cream, only one egg and added 1/2 cup of milk. And made my 1/2 cup sugar heaping. Doubled the raisins. The rest of ingredients just in half. Thanks for sharing!

Good, but dries out fast.

I made this for an international foods luncheon at work and got rave reviews. I am not a good cook at all, and this was easy and turned out wonderfully my first time! One batch made 16 mini loafs (had to decrease cook time).

Terrific recipe which I will make again. Used 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour and 3 c. white flour, along with lite sour cream. It was too sweet for my idea of soda bread, so next time will use only 1/2 c. sugar. Loaves were done after 50 minutes and looked nice enough to give as gifts. Followed a previous suggestion to cover with foil after removing from oven to let steam for 30 minutes. Worked great!

This knocked the socks off my Irish mother-in-law. No one could stop nibbling on this.

This was an easy recipe and everyone that has tried it really likes it! I would check on the bread towards the end though. When I checked on the bread 15 minutes prior to being done, it was already a golden color so I pulled it out, but that could just be my gas oven.

I've had people say "no thanks, soda bread is too dry." Then they taste this one. It's almost more of a cake than a bread - very moist. I've been making it for years & I'll never get store-bought again! Happy St. Pat's Day!

I really loved this bread. A member of a club I belong to made this for our annual corned beef and cabbage fund raising dinner. When asked for the recipe, she stated it was a family secret. This is the recipe! I guess the family secret is allrecipes.com I followed the recipe exactly except I had to add a few tablespoons of milk because the batter was too stiff, as suggested by another reviewer. Still tasted great! Thank you ladies for sharing this wonderful recipe.

I cut the recipe in half and filled up 12 muffin tins instead of baking it in a loaf. I baked it at 325 for about 50 minutes. I wanted to make sure they weren't doughy in the middle, but 50 minutes might have been a bit long when they're so small. They were a little crispy on the outside but perfect inside! I added my own mixture sprinkled on top before I baked the muffins (cinnamon, sugar, ground nutmeg & ground ginger.) That was a nice addition. I wouldn't recommend using paper muffin tray liners though. Because the recipe doesn't have any butter in it, the batter stuck to parts of the liners. Just greasing the muffin pan would have been better than using liners. But overall, I was happy with the recipe and the small changes I made to it. Went great with my corn beef and cabbage Irish dinner.

i have 4 boys and we loved this!!Even when my parents came to visit they raved over this bread...After it was done baking, i brushed the top with butter and wrapped in foil like another review suggested to lock in the moisture. Excellent sugestion as the bread stayed moist for several days. Will make this again and again. WONDERFUL recipe. Thanks!!

I've had people say "no thanks, soda bread is too dry." Then they taste this one. It's almost more of a cake than a bread - very moist. I've been making it for years & I'll never get store-bought again! Happy St. Pat's Day!

Very delicious and easy to make. Whole family devoured this (even 4 yr old and 2 yr old). Made one loaf with caraway seeds and the other without. Both were very good. Definately did not think 1 c. of raisins was too much. Bread has somewhat of a cake-like texture and I was worried it may be too sweet, but it wasn't. You may want to watch while baking. Was done perfectly in Pampered Chef Stonewear Loaf Pan in 50 minutes.

This is now my recipe for soda bread on St. Pat's Day. So moist, so good. But I made a few changes, i added enough flour to be able to shape the dough into a round loaf (probably another cup), slashed the top and baked till done (probably an additional 15 minutes).

I gave this recipe 5 stars cause my husband likes it. He does not like Irish soda bread. This is a cross between cake and Irish soda bread.I cut the recipe in half. Put 2 eggs and 1 cup of sour cream. Made one loaf.Great warm with butter and a cup of tea.

I made this recipe as part of my St. Patricks Day celebration and it was very good. Not to sweet but still flavorful.

This is a favorite of ours. I add 1/2 cup of oil and increase the fruit to 1 1/2 cups. keep it in the fridge and slice thick and then toast. Delicious!

I made this recipe for the first time last year and it was a huge hit! This year when I made it, again, rave reviews! I prefer golden raisins, and this year, I simmered them on the stove in plenty of Irish whiskey, removed them from the heat, covered and let soak up the whiskey (I actually simmered 2 cups, but only used one in the recipe). When the raisins were cooked in the bread, they were plump, and had the slightest, really, ever so slight taste of the whiskey - one would have to know the raisins were soaked to identify the whiskey. Just a fun little addition to Irish Soda Bread - excellent recipe!!! By the way, the extra raisins taste terrific over vanilla ice-cream!!

This was terrific! After the first batch, I made a second batch and added shredded cheese to it, and some roasted peppers on the top, a wee bit of garlic and voila, a terrific accompaniment to beer cheese soup!

Very good..i've had better, but it worked!

I don't have a long history of eating Irish Soda Bread, but I love this bread. Our dear friend, Pat, can't wait for St. Patrick's Day every year, because I always make it for him along with a traditional corned beef dinner. What a treat! Thanks for a great recipe ladies. P.S. I don't change a thing and make the recipe as written.

So good and very easy recipe. Batter was a bit dry so I added about 3 tablespoons of milk. I also baked it in a bread pan. Will make again but will add bit more raisins next time.

Delicious! I substituted one cup of whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, sifted 1 tsp of cardamom into the dry ingredients, then substituted currants for the raisins, and also added 1/4 cup of milk to the batter. It came out fabulous, rose beautifully, and had a nice golden color to the crust. I will definitely make this one again!

This recipe was fantastic. I can't stop making this. I added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and have been experimenting with different dried fruits. made it with dried mixed fruit and mixed dried berries so far. I think I like the mixed berries a little better.

Was slightly surprised how delicious this easy to make break turned out. It was my first time making Soda bread, and the first time my wife wven tried it, and it was a huge hit. I will definatly make it again.

I cannot believe how good this recipe is. And EASY, too! After spending 2 weeks in Ireland a few backs, I have been trying to replicate the taste that my husband & I fell in love with over there. This is it!

This bread is delicious! I made two-thirds of the recipe and baked it in one 9x5 pan. I also used fat-free sour cream, and it turned out very well.

I have made this the last couple of St. Patrick's Day as a treat for my husband (who is Irish) and my daughter, and even for friends. Everyone has loved it. I think the sour cream gives it a nice texture. I will definitely keep making this recipe!

I usually don't bake but this recipe was so easy and really delicious. I made for Christmas Eve and there was none left for Christmas Morning!

Too moist, eggy, and sweet. I can see why some people might like it, but I prefer a more traditional recipe.

Delicious & moist! I used whole wheat flour rather than white, cut back on the sugar, added 2 Tblsps of ground flax seed and 2 Tblsps of caraway seed, and I used lite sour cream. Fantastic!

I love the texture and perfect sweetness to this bread...it was delicious; esp warm and spread with some light butter

If your looking for authentic, this is not it. Irish people cook this in a large round rought iron pan and they do not add sour cream, instead use 1/2 stick of margerine and blend it with the dry ingredients until its like cornmeal. Also, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg is optional, but nice! Put a cross on top to let the devil out and bake for 40 minutes.

I made this recipe at the request of my 1st- and 3rd grade daughters who wanted to bring an "Irish" snack to school for St. Pat's. They are fiercely proud of their Irish heritage. As am I...but I admit that I really hate making soda bread. Until I found this gem. It is super-simple, doubles very easily (one loaf for each girls' classroom plus one mini-loaf for my breakfast tomorrow...with some coffee and bacon, mmm!!!) It is not "authentic Irish" but you know what, neither is corned beef so screw tradition! If it tastes good, EAT IT!!! My only qualm was that it rises VERY quickly. Not a problem unless you double it in too small of a mixing bowl, then wham, batter dripping all over my countertop. So use a really big bowl. Forewarned is forearmed! It is quite sweet compared to the real deal, but I say go with it. I enhanced the inherant sweetness with a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top of the loaf prior to baking, and a cup or so of currants in the batter. Slainte!

Excellent! this is the third soda bread receipe I tried, and it was outstanding. the only thing I did different was use low fat sour cream.

Perfect! Delicious! Will make again and again and again! Thank you Ms. Costello and Ms. Walters!

This bread is fantastic! I made two loaves and my kids ate all of it ! Do mix it very well!

I made this last weekend and it came out wonderfully despite all the things I did wrong! I was out of sour cream so I used vanilla yogurt, added a splash of oil, extra raisins, vanilla and the zest of an orange ( I fear bland food)...It was excellent with butter and would make a great breakfast or with coffee treat! Thanks!!

This isn't Soda Bread. This is called Railway Cake. I swear on my Irish father's grave that Soda bread doesn't have sour cream and raisins. As far as a Railway Cake recipe is concerned, this recipe will do.

This is an excellent soda bread added dried cranberries really moist will make often

I was looking for a recipe that didn't include caraway seeds (yuck!). This one was very easy to make and tasty. The recipe didn't specify, so I made one batch by hand and a second using my mixer. The batch made with the mixer did turn out better. The mixing time was kept to an absolute minimum to keep gluten from developing.

Nice-- dense and cakelike with a little sweet. I served it with corned beef and cabbage last night and toasted it this morning with fried corned beef and eggs. Delicious!

The absolute best soda bread. No changes to the recipe needed.

My daughter needed an Irish Soda Bread for an international food fair at school so we chose this one. It was a hit! We loved it and so did everyone else. It was easy to make and very moist and so much better than other soda breads I've had before. Thanks for the recipe!

I made one slight change. I didn't have any sour cream. So I used Oikos 0% Greek Vanilla Yogurt instead. Um... yum

I have made this my new Irish Soda Bread recipe! My old recipe was a dry and crumbly bread. I've made 3 batches in the last week and EVERYONE who tastes it, loves it. Even DH who doesn't like soda bread can't get enough. In one of the batches I added ground caraway and sprinkled the top with a little cinnamon sugar. MMMM. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

I love this recipe! I use a bundt pan and sprinkle powdered sugar on top lightly. Makes a good-looking gift to take to a party, etc. This time I am going to mix raisins and craisins. Hope the luck of the Irish is on my side with this variation!

This was a very easy recipe to follow. And the flavor of the bread is great! Mine came out a little drier than I had hoped for, but next time I will follow the advice of previous reviewers and "steam" the loaves. I did take the advice of another reviewer and used currants instead of raisins.

Best Irish Soda Bread Recipe Ever!!!! I now use this recipe every St. Pat's day and sometimes when I just feel like a nice thick slice of isle heaven.

I served this at a Red Hat Society dinner for St. Patrick's Day and it was a big hit. The fancy ladies abandoned all delicacy and came back for seconds and thirds. I added a cup of coarsely chopped walnuts, just because. This is definitely a recipe for the bread-phobic cook. Easy, easy, easy.

Everyone loved this bread. It was even better the next day. I used craisins instead of raisins because my family prefers them. A great treat for breakfast toasted!

This was an excellent recipe! I was worried about the raisins staying hard, as there was little moisture in the dough, so I "marinated" them with a capful each of vanilla and orange extracts (a VERY good combination!) I also added about 1/4 cup milk, because my dough was too dry. The loaves came out perfectly. A very good, and very easy recipe to follow.

This is wonderful and so easy to make! I used 1/2 all-purpose white flour and half all-purpose wheat flour and added 1 tbsp of flax seeds and 1/2 a cup of chopped walnuts. I can imagine all sorts of dried fruit, seeds and/or nuts being a nice addition to this bread. I didn't find it to be cake-like at all, but then again, I did use wheat flour for half of the flour. Either way, it came out beautifully, golden brown and not too sweet. Thanks for the recipe!

Fabulous, it's a keeper. I only made one loaf and served it with a beef barley stew. Every crumb was gone! Changes I made were to halve the sugar, sub plain yogurt for the sour cream and skip the raisins. I was sorry I halved the recipe because every crumb was eaten and I have no leftovers! It's not the soda bread that Autn Mary made, it's better!

I used 1/2 of a 16 oz container of light sour cream, and a few tablespoons of buttermilk. I also used golden raisins that I soaked in hot water. I brushed some melted butter on top a half hour before taking out of the oven. Turned out just okay- a tad too sweet (but I did put green sparkling sugar on top-that could be it)- and kind of hard. I usually make a pretty good Irish Soda bread, so I think I'll probably stick with my old recipe. Maybe I didn't put in enough sour cream....

This was GREAT for a themed St. Patricks day party. We used real butter and jams, divine! Also tried lemon curd with it, that was the best. The warmness is what makes this.

This bread is so delicious! I used one cup of wheat flour in place of one cup of white. I also used 1/2 cup of raw brown sugar instead of the 1 cup of white sugar. This is a great recipe - thank you!

Great recipe! I substituted nonfat plain yogurt for the sour cream and the bread was still moist and rich. Sprinkled caraway atop the loaves. Smelled great and kids loved it way better than the cabbage that came with the corned beef for our St. Patrick's Day dinner. (Big surprise!)

Made this for my family over spring break; not only was it quick and easy, but my mum finally said she had a soda bread that she liked and would eat again. Tastes great, will make again!

I love this recipe! To lighten it up I use low fat sour cream and egg substitute, and I use whole wheat flour to make it a bit healthier. I also bake it in a cupcake pan, so I get about 16 mini breads--great for work or social events. Great recipes!

My family flipped over this soda bread. Having a strong Irish heritage, my mother had doubts when she saw the recipe. When it was done, she couldn't stop eating it!

This was SO simple to make and delicious. I added a handful or two of chopped walnuts instead of the raisins and loved it. Tastes very similar to scones, but moister. It's perfect for breakfast with butter or cream cheese and makes a nice snack, too. I warm it in the toaster... YUM!

I make this recipe for breakfast on St. Patrick's day. I half the recipe for one loaf and use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Amazing!

My family and I loved this recipe! It is the perfect texture and sweetness. I halved the recipe to one loaf when I made it the first time and just added 2 eggs insted of the 1 1/2. Next time I will make 2 loaves and make one with raisins and one either plain or with chocolate chips!

This bread was so easy to make, and was delicious! The two loafs didn't last more than 3 days. I made it with raisins, but am looking forward to trying cranberries, cherries and raspberries. Was excellent toasted with a little butter for breakfast!

Before I come across this recipe I had only had Irish Soda Bread once before at a Potato Bake, and I must say that this recipe was much more superior in taste! Yes it is a bit cake-like in texture, but I loved how light and moist it was! The only change I made was substituting currants for the raisins. The first time I made this recipe, I used plain yogurt (with an additional tsp baking powder) b/c I didn't have any sour cream on hand. Today I used the sour cream and it's just as delicious. Thanks Arlene for sharing your mother's wonderful recipe!

This recipe was very easy and produced a wonderful bread; better still, the ingredients are those I normally have on hand. The bread was very moist, and everyone enjoyed it at our St. Paddy's Day dinner. Thanks!

I make this at LEAST once a year on St Patty's, but people start drooling around New Year's. Awesomeness - exactly as it is. I only put the raisins in some boiling water first to plump them a little. Put a little real butter out with it - incredible!

This was wonderful. It was moister than traditional Irish Bread. I substituted dried cranberries for the raisins. This goes in my keeper file.

Delicious. I use currents instead of raisins as my family doesn't like raisins but other than that I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks for a great recipe.

I got lots of compliments on this bread...and I didn't slave over it!

I made this for my Irish grandma for Christmas, and she was so happy because it reminds her of her childhood, when her mother made Irish soda bread almost every day. Also, I made it with mini chocolate chips bc I didn't have any caraway seeds--this was lucky because my grandma said they get stuck in her dentures! It was great with the choc chips.

Good. It had a little bit of a cornbread flavor/texture. I would make again, probably good for breakfast.

I made this bread with fat-free sour cream and orange flavored craisins and it turned out great. The craisins infused the bread wih an orange flavor. tastes amazing fresh out of the oven!

I love this bread! It is hard to tell what it will be like when making it. The dough is very gooey, sticky and thick. I had to add a couple TBL of milk to help me mix the entire dough. I didn't use my stand mixer (attempted to do it by hand) but I think the mixer would make it easier. I used a mix of golden raisins and cherries (dried), I think about 1/2 cup more of fruit would make this amazing! Also about 1/2 way through I coated each loaf with butter. Be careful to put the same amount of dough in each pan, I didn't and had to leave one loaf in for an extra 10 minutes. Ate it warm out of the oven with some butter and coffee... what a great treat! This is a great breakfast item, or a light dessert. AMAZING!

I must admit that I made a few changes. Due to a wheat allergy, I used 2 cups brown rice flour, 1 cup soy flour, and 1 cup wheat free gluten free baking mix. I was out of sour cream, so I used 2 cups cottage cheese mixed with 2 T milk and 2 T white vinegar. The mix was a bit too dry, so I added a bit more milk for moistness and baked in two 8 inch cake pans. The bread was sensational, and no one knew that I didn't use all-purpose flour!

I had to change one thing, the recipe calls for 2 tsp. baking powder, it was spongy, I put in 1 tsp. baking powder, and added cranberries instead, it was great, my (9) grandchildren love it toasted.

Not sure what the hype is on this but it definately taste better with rasins.

Wonderful. It was gobbled up at our St. Patrick's dinner faster than I would have anticipated! I added an additional 1/2 cup of golden raisins too which improved both the taste and the look of it when sliced.

I made this as a potluck item and got Rave reviews. Easy to make. First ever real baking attempt for me.

Loved it

yum!! cut recipe in half and subbed fat free vanilla yogurt (and an extra t. of baking powder!) for the sour cream. not too sweet.

Wonderful sweet and cake like bread. Keeps very well. I substituted low fat yogurt for the sour cream without issue.

This was an excellant easy recipe. My husband is not a big bread eater and he loved it! It was moist and sweet. I used Sun Maid baking raisins found in the same section of your grocery store and the regular raisins. They are very moist and smaller... perfect for this recipe as some other reviewers mentioned regular raisins did not work well.

I had several guests over for St. Patricks day and instead of how I usually buy this bread from the store I decided to make it. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Everyone loved it I will make it again. I followed all the directions except I sprinkled some caraway seeds on top.

Tastes great right out of the oven. Gave it as a gift and they loved it..Has a texture like cornbread and just the right touch of sweetness..I made it without the raisins..

Yummy....went great with the corned beef and cabbage II from this site!