Position one of your oven racks in the center and preheat the oven to 450F. Lightly flour an 9-inch glass baking pie plate or baking sheet; set aside.
Sieve the dry ingredients into a very large wide bowl. With your fingers or a whisk mix very well.
Make a well in the center of your flour mixture. Add most of the buttermilk to the bowl all at once. Immediately with your hand open like a claw, mix the flour into the buttermilk from the sides of the bowl until a softish dough forms. This should take only seconds. You want a soft dough but not wet and sticky. Add the bit of remaining milk only if necessary.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With clean hands gently shape the dough into a round loaf shape about 8- inches in diameter.
With a sharp knife, cut an "x" in the top about ½-inch deep, being sure to go right out over the edges. Place the dough in the prepared dish/baking sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400 and bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and place the bread on a rack to cool completely.
This bread is best enjoyed within a day of baking. Once completely cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Buttermilk Substitute: If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to 12 ounces (350 ml) of whole milk before proceeding with the recipe.Serving size: 1 sliceClick here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.3*SmartPoints (Green plan)3*SmartPoints (Blue plan)3*SmartPoints (Purple plan)3*PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition Facts
Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 101Calories from Fat 5
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.5g1%
Carbohydrates 20.2g7%
Fiber 0.7g3%
Protein 3.4g7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.