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Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this easy Irish brown bread recipe. This is a classic Irish soda bread made with equal parts whole wheat flour and regular flour. You can add in raisins, caraway seeds, even orange zest for a fun twist. This is an easy soda bread made with baking powder so it’s in the oven in under 30 minutes!

whole wheat irish soda bread on a napkin

Is there anything better than homemade bread? I know. I totally agree. There isn’t. And there is seriously nothing better when homemade bread takes all of 30 minutes to throw together and is in the oven before you can say Bob’s your uncle.

Ok, I don’t think I have ever said that phrase in my life. Moving on…

Back to the bread.

Now Irish brown bread might be a thing you think to make only once a year. But seriously, after one bite you might wonder why. Let’s make some…

Is Irish Soda Bread Really Irish?

Turns out soda bread did not originate from Ireland, but it is most closely associated with coming from there because it was adopted due to increased poverty and hunger during the potato famine

And traditional Irish Soda bread would not include any add ins like I used such as raisins, caraway seeds, and orange zest. It is very simple – flour, leavening agent, salt, and buttermilk.

Then there is the cross cut on top. Some source say the cross is made in the top to ward off the Devil and protect the household. (source: Abigail’s bakery). Others say it’s so that the bread can be divided easily.

How To Make This Irish Brown Bread

Making Irish brown bread is really no hard than making any quick bread recipe really. Like banana bread. It’s all about using a leavening agent. And of course not overmixing.

Start by pre-heating your oven to 375°F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

And you can make this bread in your stand mixer all in one bowl. After you have measured all your dry ingredients into the bowl.

irish soda bread dry ingredients in a bowl

You want to add softened butter to the dry ingredients.

Pro Tip: If you forgot to take the butter out early (I do this all the time, so I hear ya) then here are 3 fast ways to soften your butter.

Once your butter has been incorporated, then add in your buttermilk and egg. Buttermilk has to give the bread such great flavor and moisture. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, then you can make your own buttermilk at home.

Now here is where you can have some fun. You can add in raisins. Caraway seeds. Even orange zest. I tried them all. My favorite combination was the raisins and orange zest. But do what works for you!

raisins and orange zest added to irish soda bread dough

And that’s it. You just need to simply pat the dough into a round onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper or into a cast iron skillet. The cast iron skillet method will cause the bread to spread a little less.

With a serrated knife, cut an “x” into the top of the bread.

You can brush the top with a little bit more buttermilk or a sprinkle of sugar for a bit more sweetness.

two irish soda breads on silicone baking mat and in cast iron

Recipe Tips

Soften your butter. Make sure your butter is softened so that it can be easily incorporated into the dough. You can let the butter sit on the counter for 3o minutes to an hour, cubed, for it to soften quickly. Here are 3 more ways to soften your butter quickly.
Careful Measuring. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Too much flour will result in a dense bread. I recommend first by stirring the flour before you start to measure. Then scoop the flour into your cup with a spoon and level off with a flat edge.
Do not overmix. Because this is essentially a quick bread, meaning it’s leavened with baking soda and baking powder too much mixing can result in too much gluten being formed. And too much gluten will result in an overly chewy bread.

whole wheat irish soda bread on a white napkin

Do I Have To Use Whole Wheat Flour?

A classic Irish brown bread does use part whole wheat flour. I used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour.

You could all purpose flour if you want. Or try using white whole wheat flour which has a softer texture than traditional wheat flour. I’ve used it before in my banana bread and you would never know it’s whole wheat!

I don’t recommend using all whole wheat flour because of the texture. If you’re new to baking then you might want to check out my post on how to measure flour correctly and the different types of flour.

This homemade bread recipe is so easy to make because it doesn’t rely on using yeast, but baking powder and baking soda. So no need to proof anything, wait around for it to rise, and shaping. And all that other jazz. Not that I don’t love a good loaf of artisan crusty homemade bread made with yeast. But sometimes I just need bread. Like now.

How Long Does Irish Soda Bread Last?

Irish soda bread can dry out quickly. So unless you are eating right away (which is what I recommend! With a bit of butter) then you want to wrap it up in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It will stay fresh this way for 3-4 days.

The bread can also be frozen for 2-3 months.

More Whole Wheat Recipes

To Make This Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread You Will Need:

Stand Mixer
Spatula
Cookie Sheet
Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
Measuring cups and spoons

I am a bread lover but not any bread so I will try this soon it looks Yummy especially with melted butter and some salt when still hot , thank you <3