Irish Bannock

So simple and yet so incredibly delicious! Perfect with Irish Breakfast Tea! This is definitely scone-like and great warm out of the oven with a bit of butter! Since I like things a bit sweeter, I used 1/4 cup of sugar. I froze my butter and used a cheese grater to "grate" it in to the flour mixture. I also used raisins instead of currants. Buttermilk is great for baking as it always makes things very moist. I used a whole cup and had no trouble with kneading. I formed the dough into a 7 inch round and placed it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I did an egg wash over top and it baked up nice and brown. This is such a simple recipe that produces such great results. I think you could simplify it even more and just use 2 cups of self-rising flour along with the sugar, butter, buttermilk and raisins....

I've made it twice - love it a little more moist. I added the whole cup of buttermilk (maybe plus a little more), which makes a wet dough. Can't be kneaded. I just dumped it out onto the greased cookie sheet, shaped it into a 7" round, & baked it. Much better that way . . . moist & yummy.

If you soak the currants in rum for half an hour before you use them then drain and add to bread it really perks up the recipe.

I made this as a last minute addition to our St. Patrick's Day meal. I pretty much followed the recipe. I didn't have any buttermilk on hand so I substituted skim milk with a tbsp of vinegar mixed in. I soaked the currants in some warm water before mixing them in. Also, I carelessly dumped the whole cup of milk in rather than adding it until the dough was soft. It made for a wet, sticky dough that I was unable to knead, but I shaped it and place it in an oiled cake pan. The result was a lovely, cakey loaf that my husband raved over. We served it with butter at dinner and then we had it for breakfast this morning with butter and jam. Delicious and easy (not to mention forgiving). This recipe is a definite keeper.

This turned out great, so nice and moist! I had to sub raisins for the currants, as that was what I had in the house. I did put the full amount of buttermilk in, and soaked the raisins in hot water first. The dough was very wet, but held its shape when I put it on the baking sheet (did not grease the sheet, I lined it with parchment paper instead.)

I was looking for a lower fat scone recipe that didn't use so much butter. These were very good. I followed the recipe except I used oil instead of butter, but the dough was very sticky and couldn't be kneeded, so I just mixed with a spoon and put it right onto the greased cookie sheet...didn't have any currants, so I used dried cranberries. Next time might try adding grated orange peel. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!

Whoa... my new favourite snack and breakfast bread.

The grandkids love making this bread it is quick and they love to knead it

This is a very traditional bread ~ also great when served along side Irish Stew or Corned Beef and Cabbage too.

I do not believe that this is a recipe childen would choose overall

My grandma used to make something very similar to this and this recipe really took me back. It turned out wonderfully! I am sure I will be making it many, many times. Thank you

This was wonderful. I'm not sure what the difference is between bannock and soda bread, but I did make "Irish Soda Bread" from this site once and I can't help comparing the two. I prefer the other--it baked up fluffier. However this has its own charm: it is tender on the inside, with a nice flavor that could be easily added to. Like many others I too had to switch out for the currants. I'm not sure I've ever seen one for sale here :( I used a combination of raisins and craisins, soaked in water, then drained just before adding them to the batter. This would make an excellent breakfast bread, much less sweet than the usual kind!

I wish I could give more stars! This is one of the best things I've ever made from AllRecipes. I simply LOVE this loaf. I made it with golden raisins instead of currants but followed everything else exactly. This will be a kitchen staple from now on. Thanks SO much for sharing it!

Awesome and easy to make. I added a little more than a cup of buttermilk and used dried cranberries instead of currants. Goes great with a hot cup of chai tea

A nice, simple soda bread that is moist and has good flavor. I used my food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture and then mixed the buttermilk in. I removed the dough from the food processor and kneaded the raisins into the dough. Super easy and great with a cup of tea.

Threw all the ingredients into a bowl and added a full cup of buttermilk. Formed into a 7inch round and baked for 40mins. Came out delicious & moist! Very simple, easy recipe and yields great results. Only problem is keeping myself from eating the whole thing =} Thanks for sharing!!

I cut the sugar to 1tsp, added sun dried tomatoes, pesto and parmesan cheese and it was delicious

I used the dough hook on my electric mixer and it worked great. I also just cut the butter into small chunks instead of cutting in. I will definitely make again!

Awesome recipe! My wife asks me to bake one of these every few days. I've also done a few where I replaced the currants with Kalamata Olives and shredded cheese; WOW! Delicious! My only advice is to flour your hands; this dough is STICKY!

Mine came out flat. I didn't really liked it.

I made this for breakfast to surprise my family. It came out looking really good. I didn't have raisons. I thought I had dried cranberry's, but didn't. So I chopped up some dried apricots. REALLY GOOD! I also put in a little cinnamon for flavor. And like other people suggested, use all the milk! We ate this slathered with jam. Yummy!

It doesn't get better than this! Incredibly easy and delicious - something you can easily throw together at a moment's notice. I soaked the currents in hot water before adding them to the batter, and also skipped the kneading step. The bread turned out perfectly, with a gorgeous texture and just-right level of sweetness. My kids loved it toasted for breakfast!

Great recipe! Just keep in mind how your oven works specifically, because cooking it too fast too hot will make the outside very hard.

I have made this 3 times in the past three weeks. It's addicting! And I love how there is barely any butter or sugar in it. I can whip up a loaf in under 10 minutes, which is perfect to do right before I do homework. By the time my homework is done, my snack is ready! It doesn't need anything on it to be served, which is wonderful. No eggs either, which is great. I add all the buttermilk. I haven't needed it yet, I just dump it on the pan and that has worked out fine. Anywas, definitly recommend it - especially to share!

Easy recipe. Just tried my first piece fresh out of the oven and thought it was great. I'll be making this often.

I made this one morning for my kids, since we'd just finished a book in our homeschooling which talked about "baking a bannock." Easy to make, tasted great, and the kids loved it! Best hot, right out of the oven. I added cherries instead.

I substituted chopped dates for the currants and it was a big hit! This was easy to make and I think I'll make it again!

Really good. My sister made it a little more moist and added raisins and it was absolutely to die for!!!

I just pulled this out of the oven, and it's quite tasty. I love that the fact that it isn't overly sweet. I took the advice of the other reviewers and added in the full cup of buttermilk; but my dough wasn't sticky like other's were saying, so I went ahead and kneaded it. I used a mixture of raisins and golden raisins instead of currants, and I also added a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. I'm planning on baking another one and putting it in the freezer for later. This bread is so easy to make, and so delicious, that I plan on making it a regular thing. EDIT: Made a batch today using whole wheat flour, maple syrup in place of sugar, 3 tbsps butter, 3/4 tsps each powder and soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp vanilla. Baked at 365 degrees for 35 minutes. So good!

This was a very enjoyable bread. I do prefer scones, but many in my family preferred this. The things I did differently ... we can't drink cows milk, so I used soy milk. I'm going to try goat milk one of these times too. I think it may taste better with the goats milk. Only time will tell. I also used raisins, as I rain out of currants.

I made this today in honor of St. Paddy's Day. Very easy and very good!! I soaked the raisins in brandy overnight.

This was very tasty. I only had raisins so that's what I used. Very good teatime scone recipe delicious warm out of the oven with a cup of tea.

Excellent. I was surprised how moist it was. I expected more of a biscuit, but it was more like bread. My kids liked it too! I did use some extra flour on top when kneeding it, since it was very sticky.

I made this as an "Irish soda bread" for St. Patrick's day and everyone loved it. It was moister and less crumbly than many of the other recipes I have tried. I measured the flour by the dip-level-pour method and used all the buttermilk, but was able to knead it without too much sticking (not kneading will affect the texture). I used golden raisins instead of currants because I like them better, and I have only been able to find currants at Trader Joe's ever.

This turned out much better than I could've hoped! I did substitute the dried fruits for nuts, but pair it with some fruit and cream and it goes great with morning tea.

Absolutely delicious. My husband and kids all love it as a snack or for breakfast. As if that wasn't reason enough to love this recipe, it's super easy. I make it a few times a week now, and it disappears quickly.

I found this recipe on this site about 5 years. The comment was I have to make this more often. It is easy and is a favorite every St Patrick's Day to be sure!!! I did not make any changes and never have any left after dinner. ????

Wonderful and very forgiving. I didn't have currants or raisins so I left them out and the bread was wonderful. Kind of reminded me of buttermilk biscuits. I used the whole cup of buttermilk and kneaded the dough then put it in an 8inch cake pan since that's the only one I had. My husband even enjoyed it! Great bread for mealtimes or a snack with some jelly on it! Thanks for the great recipe!

This is my go-to recipe every time. I have no use for buttermilk outside this recipe, and it is only sold by the quart near me, so I always quadruple the recipe. Usually that means I have to add another 1/2 cup to a cup of flour, depending on the weather. I do like the suggestion to soak the currants in rum or other alcohol first, it would be a nice twist and I'd be curious to try that next time.

i doubled the butter to 4 tbsp. and it was still a bit tough, even without kneading. otherwise, this was quite good. i'll try it again with a touch more liquid, as i think that it had to be stirred too much to get all the dry ingredients incorporated; hence the toughness.

Amazing! I made one loaf, they ate it all in one day, had to make another. I've tried it with raisins, plain, it's all good!

This came out exceptionally well.. I used blue berries dried instead of currants.. good with butter (when I say butter I mean good butter)

I added the full cup of buttermilk as well and shaped the sticky dough on the cookie sheet. I also used raisins instead of currants. It turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!

Really good. I skipped the currents and it was still great. A simple and fast recipe.

Easy, quick, and delicious, with or without the currents! Good with butter, cheese, or jelly. Don't worry about kneading if the dough is too wet for it – it will be fine.

This was my second try at an Irish Soda Bread. This one was by far better than the last one. My family really enjoyed the bread also. I made it to go with Cabbage Roll Casserole for ST. Patricks day. The only thing I changed was to add a extra tblsp of sugar, because I always like things sweeter than normal, and I used sour milk due to lack of buttermilk. Excellent. Thanks for sharing! I will use this again.

Yummy all around. I used raisins instead of currants as i did not have any on hand.

This was wonderful! I've been looking for a good breakfast bread recipe that doesn't include tons of sugar, and this was not only a snap to make, but tasted delicious. I didn't have currants, so I used raisins soaked overnight in rum, and because we don't drink milk, I soured a cup of plain almond milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice to sub for the buttermilk. It made the crust a little chewy, but otherwise worked just fine. The bread was light, fluffy, and made the house smell amazing. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

This is such a simple recipe with delicious results. I can make this at anytime by using cultured buttermilk powder mixed in the dry ingredients and adding 1 cup water. I also use raisins instead of currants. I used to make this with wheat flour, but now I use Bob's 1:1 gluten free flour. It tastes as good and has the same texture as when I used regular flour in the past.

just like da's,great tasting and easy

Great recipe, thanks for sharing it. If you are Irish or just want to channel your inner-Irish, this is a great way to bring in the New Year!

I've been making this for ten years. Add nuts, change the dried fruit, whatever you want, just don't overmix it. Delicious.

My family loves this recipe and I always serve it on Saint Patrick's Day. I substitute craisins for the currants and cook it on a stoneware baking sheet. Delicious!

Very good. Added extra current, and family ate it up to the last crumb!

I had been buying Irish Soda Bread from a local grocery chain (Wegmans) that has had it since March, they discontinued it recently. I tried this as a replacement for my morning ISB fix and am glad I did, it is wonderful. Slightly sweet, beautiful crust, soft inside. Much better than the store-bought bread I thought I was in love with. I didn't change the recipe at all and it came out perfect on the first try.

I've been making this for ten years. Add nuts, change the dried fruit, whatever you want, just don't overmix it. Delicious.

Very easy to make and was totally delicious!

Delicious! The dough is very wet and hard to knead, so I followed another reviewer's tip and just shaped it onto a greased cake pan. I also didn't have currants, so I used half dried cranberries and half sunflower seeds. The crust is nice and crispy and the inside is soft and moist. Thank you for this recipe!

Sooo good! YUM!

Served with New Year's Day dinner for luck in 2021. Excellent!

I love it!

I did not make changes and I will probably make it again, as soon as I can get to the store, whenever that may be.

A perfect size bannock and so easy to make! Just love this recipe, but doubled the soda and powder to fluff it up a bit. This time I am trying cranberries, and added a little oatmeal for the Scot in me!

I make this regularly and as the submitter said, it is very like a scone. I made it per the recipe the first time I baked it but now add an additional tablespoon of butter and sugar . I also use raisins as can't seem to get currants here in Florida. Use a full cup of buttermilk and grate in the cold butter and have never had a problem kneading the dough. I knead the dough for as little time as possible otherwise you end up with tough bread. Very good bread especially spread with Irish Kerrygold butter and accompanied with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

This actually called Irish Spotted Dog. I’ve made it many times with the following changes: Double the sugar. Replace the baking powder with 1 egg for a more cake- like texture. Add 1 tsp of orange zest. I tend to use closer to a cup of cranberries soaked in rum overnight. Also, because of the egg, I use less buttermilk (or sour milk), adding it in increments until dough moist but still kneadable.

Really enjoyed this. Like a scone bread. Stayed moist and tasty even the next day. Can't say if it lasts longer because we ate it all before then.