Sourdough Soda Bread Recipe [Simple and Easy to Make]

Published Categorized as Sourdough Discard Recipes

This simple and easy sourdough soda bread recipe is a great way to make use of any sourdough discard, ensuring minimum waste with a delicious outcome. Serve this at any time of day, with your favorite soups, stews, flavorful broths, or a simple slap of butter, to hit the cold spot this winter! You can add anything you like to this recipe, I like to add some nuts and dried fruits for a crunchier texture. Without further ado, let’s get to it!

Sourdough soda bread recipe

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Sourdough soda bread recipe [simple and easy to make]

Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Recipe

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This scrumptious sourdough discard recipe is super easy to make and doesn’t require overnight fermentation, so you get to enjoy your sourdough soda bread almost immediately after baking it!

  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf, 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 125g all-purpose flour
  • 125g stoneground or whole wheat flour
  • 3g kosher salt
  • 3g baking soda
  • 50g raisins
  • 7g caraway seeds
  • 42g cold unsalted butter
  • 100g sourdough starter discard
  • 118ml cultured buttermilk
  • 24g honey

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Combine both flours, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Cut the butter into cubes and coat the pieces in the flour mixture. Then use your hands to crumble the butter into the flour mixture, until you achieve a breadcrumb texture.
  4. Mix the raisins and caraway seeds into the flour mixture.
  5. In a separate bowl whisk the sourdough discard, buttermilk, and honey then drop the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
  6. Gently fold the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients using your hands, or a dough whisk until they are thoroughly incorporated.
  7. Transfer the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a dusting of flour to the dough, and shape it into a round shape.
  8. Use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2-inch deep X into the top of the loaf.
  9. Bake the soda bread for 40 minutes, or until it’s a dark golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 200F.
  10. Remove the soda bread from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

  • Treat your soda bread dough like you’re making biscuits. Gently knead the dough, taking care to not over-knead, as this will cause the gluten to develop creating a tough bread.
  • Freeze your butter so that it remains cold when added to the dough. The cold butter will create delicious flaky pockets once in the oven.
  • You can add some lemon zest for extra flavor.
  • Coat your soda bread in butter and honey for the best soda bread.
  • Author: Natasha Krajnc
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: bread
  • Cuisine: Irish

Nutrition

  • Calories: 199 kcal
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34 g
  • Protein: 5 g

What is Irish Soda Bread?

In America, Irish soda bread is a type of sweet, raisin-studded quick bread served with corned beef and cabbage. The texture of the Irish soda bread is similar to that of a scone.

In Ireland however, the traditional Irish soda bread is made with the simplest of ingredients including wheat flour, baking soda, sour milk, and salt. It is enjoyed throughout the year coupled with soups, and stews and served with piping hot tea.

Why Use a Sourdough Discard For Soda Bread?

This sourdough Irish soda bread requires a sourdough discard for a subtle tang. This recipe is simple and perfect since it doesn’t require any fermentation time, making it the perfect recipe to include an unfed sourdough starter to. A great way to make use of any excess sourdough discard is through a delicious traditional soda bread like this one!

Sourdough soda bread recipe

Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Recipe

This scrumptious sourdough discard recipe is super easy to make and doesn’t require overnight fermentation, so you get to enjoy your sourdough soda bread almost immediately after baking it!

Serve warm with a side of your choice. I like to pair this with a bowl of thick and hearty soup for a meal that’ll delight your taste buds!

  • Type: Bread
  • Cuisine: Irish
  • Recipe yield: 1 loaf, 8 servings
  • Calories: 199kcal
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes

Sourdough Soda Bread Ingredients

  • 125g all-purpose flour
  • 125g stoneground or whole wheat flour
  • 3g kosher salt
  • 3g baking soda
  • 50g raisins
  • 7g caraway seeds
  • 42g cold unsalted butter
  • 100g sourdough starter discard
  • 118ml cultured buttermilk
  • 24g honey

Sourdough Soda Bread Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Combine both flours, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Cut the butter into cubes and coat the pieces in the flour mixture. Then use your hands to crumble the butter into the flour mixture, until you achieve a breadcrumb texture.
  4. Mix the raisins and caraway seeds into the flour mixture.
  5. In a separate bowl whisk the sourdough discard, buttermilk, and honey then drop the wet mixture into the flour mixture.
  6. Gently fold the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients using your hands, or a dough whisk until they are thoroughly incorporated.
  7. Transfer the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a dusting of flour to the dough, and shape it into a round shape.
  8. Use a sharp knife to cut a 1/2-inch deep X into the top of the loaf.
  9. Bake the soda bread for 40 minutes, or until it’s a dark golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 200F.
  10. Remove the soda bread from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Tips For The Best Irish Soda Bread

  1. Treat your soda bread dough like you’re making biscuits. Gently knead the dough, taking care to not over-knead, as this will cause the gluten to develop creating a tough bread.
  2. Freeze your butter so that it remains cold when added to the dough. The cold butter will create delicious flaky pockets once in the oven.
  3. You can add some lemon zest for extra flavor.
  4. Coat your soda bread in butter and honey for the best soda bread. I’ve got a homemade recipe for butter, by the way!

Nutrition

  • Calories: 199kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 34g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Fat: 5g
  • Saturated fat: 3g
Sourdough soda bread recipe

Sourdough Soda Bread

Serve this on the side of your favorite stew, like this Mondongo tripe recipe.

If you love this sourdough soda bread recipe, then perhaps it’s time to try some of these delicious sourdough discard recipes!

FAQs

Is Sourdough and Soda Bread The Same Thing?

Sourdough and soda bread are not the same things, and the main difference relies on the leavening agent. While sourdough bread rises due to the gasses released from yeast and bacteria fermentation, soda bread rises from the gasses produced during the chemical interaction that occurs between baking soda and acids in the dough.

Is Sourdough Bread Better Than Soda Bread?

The answer to this question would be both. Sourdough bread can be made with wheat, rye, or other types of flour that are enriched with vitamins and minerals. Similarly, soda bread, while often made with soft whole-wheat flour, many recipes may include other nutritious ingredients that make this bread healthy.

What Does Baking Soda do to Sourdough Bread?

Combining baking soda into the dough during the shaping stage will give the sourdough bread an extra boost, as well as ensure that it remains light and airy.

Is Soda Bread a Healthy Bread?

Soda bread is a healthy option, as it’s made with healthy ingredients like whole wheat flour.

By Natasha Krajnc

Hi! My name is Natasha and I'm specialized in home sourdough bread baking and currently based in Slovakia - a very small country in Central Europe. My bread baking story began in 2011 when I decided to give up commercial yeast. I felt tired all the time (especially after eating bread and other foods made with yeast), I wasn’t motivated to do anything, had trouble concentrating throughout the day, my abdomen was bloated and I was like a trumpet on steroids – basically, I was quite a wreck. I was a big bread lover (and still am) and having to stop eating bread was quite hard at that time but I felt I was on a right way to give my body a chance to heal itself.

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