READY IN 45 mins

Nana Dot's Irish Soda Bread

Read Reviews (78)

"This was my mom's mothers recipe (my Nana Dot) and has been passed down for generations, direct from Ireland. If you like soda bread, this is awesome!" — JerzPixelPusher

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the raisins, currants, and caraway seeds, then make a well in the center and pour in the milk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times. Divide the dough into two balls, and place onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 45 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 17, 2008

I have never had Irish Soda Bread before, so I have nothing to compare this to. This was very much like a big, yummy, buttery biscuit. I didn't have caraway seeds or currants, so I only used raisins. I made one round with the raisins, and one without, because some of my family doesn't like raisins. I liked the one with the raisins better. They gave it a nice mildly sweet flavor. Maybe it was my oven, but I found that I needed to increase the baking time about 5-7 minutes and I had to drape foil over the bread for the last 10 minutes or so, to prevent over-browning. All in all, this was good.

—~S~

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Apr 04, 2011

Not sure what i did wrong but I did not care for this.

—paula

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101 Ratings

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Mar 18, 2009

Loved it! I made two different recipes for Irish Soda Bread and far-and-away preferred this one for the following reasons: 1. Texture. This was so light and flaky. The other one I made was very heavy and dense. 2. Quick cooking time: Only 30 minutes! (I did need an additional 5 minutes.) 3. Round loaves: I like my Irish Soda Bread in round loaves, not in loaf pans. This makes 2 round loaves, so we ate one and gave the other away!

—Sara in SF

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Feb 16, 2010

Best soda bread recipe I've made from this site. Saves really well as long as you have it covered. Toasts wonderfully. As far as traditional goes, because this recipe is one of the only ones to not have eggs in it, it is a bit closer to 'traditional' Irish Soda bread (which is just buttermilk, flour, soda, and salt). If you ask me, this variation is much more flavorful, but a lot closer to the right texture. As far as dried fruit goes, I had a neighbor who immigrated from Ireland who made soda bread with currants in it all the time.

—Ally

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Mar 11, 2009

Now THIS is what soda bread is supposed to taste like! Perfect texture! This is the best thing to come out of my oven in a long time.

—Beth

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Dec 27, 2010

Excellent Texture. I used raisins & chopped Apples, and a tiny bit of almond extract for sweetnes.....excellent

—erika80

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Dec 23, 2010

Absolutely delicious! I used 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour and 1 c all-purpose. I added an extra T of sugar. I omitted the caraway seeds, and used all raisins since I didn't have currants. My husband doesn't like raisins, so I reserved them until I was kneading the dough, then added them to only one loaf, kneading them in right before I formed the loaf for baking. I had to bake for an extra 15 minutes at 375 F, for a total of 45 minutes baking time. I took the loaves out of the oven when the tops were golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle came out clean. I'll definitely make this again -- possibly tomorrow! :)

—Angie09

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Sep 23, 2011

I have made many recipes from this site and have rated them all, but I have never written a review until now... This is the best Irish Soda Bread I have ever had!! You will not be disappointed!

—Dani

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Nutrition

Calories
121 kcal
6%

Carbohydrates
19.8 g
6%

Cholesterol
11 mg
4%

Fat
4.2 g
6%

Fiber
0.9 g
4%

Protein
2 g
4%

Sodium
220 mg
9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Nana Dot's Irish Soda Bread

Serving Size: 1/24 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 121
Calories from Fat: 38

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4.2g 6 %
Saturated Fat 2.6g 13 %
Cholesterol 11mg 4 %
Sodium 220mg 9 %
Potassium 109mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 19.8g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4 %
Protein 2g 4 %
Sugars 8.1g
Vitamin A 3 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 7 %
Iron 9 %
Thiamin 12 %
Niacin 10 %
Vitamin B6 2 %
Magnesium 3 %
Folate 14 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.