Irish Soda Bread with Rosemary & Lemon is a quick and easy treat to make any time of year, but hello, St. Patrick’s Day! You’ll love the imperfections of the bread’s outer crust, the softness inside, and the anything-but-traditional flavors.
This might not be the most traditional soda bread you’ve ever tried, but ain’t nothing wrong with that! A lot of folks add dried fruit like raisins to their soda bread, but I decided to make good use of my backyard lemons and a bit of fresh herbs for this easy-to-make bread.
This soda bread is perfect: it’s lightly crusted on the outside, soft on the inside, and it has the wonderful, bright lemony flavor that most definitely won’t overwhelm you. You’ll know the lemon is there, and you’ll love it.
Have I mentioned how easy it is to make this soda bread? This quick bread variety is the sort of bread I like to make because there’s no rising or kneading involved, and it doesn’t have to look perfectly-perfect, either. That’s part of its beauty if you ask me.
Irish Soda Bread with Rosemary & Lemon
This soda bread is neither all-out sweet, nor all-out savory. Sure, the rosemary gives it an earthy touch, but you could eat this bread, slice by slice with butter, or along with your favorite soup or salad. Its texture reminds me a bit of a scone, but not crumbly.
I’ve got a few other favorite breads that I’ve posted on the site: Easy Everything Bread Rolls call for yeast to help them rise, but there isn’t any kneading involved. They’re perfect with just about any meal.
My Garlic & Herb Pull Apart Bread will be a hit with you and your family, too. This recipe makes a lovely little loaf with layers and layers and layers that you can easily peel away.
Another bread that I absolutely adore is my Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. It reminds me a little of this soda bread, but it’s only slightly on the sweeter side.
I baked this soda bread in a cast iron skillet, but if you don’t have one, you can use a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
This Irish Soda Bread with Rosemary & Lemon would be fun to make to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s perfect any time of year. Make a loaf for yourself and enjoy this non-traditional soda bread!
Patricia Conte/Grab a Plate
Serves Serves 6-8
4.9 based on 8 review(s)
Ingredients
- 3-1/4 cups regular flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk, reserve up to an additional 1/2 cup more
- 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set aside a prepared (oiled), 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cold butter to the dry mixture. Use your fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour. Mix so that no chunks of butter remain, as much as possible.
- Stir the buttermilk into the mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixed well. If the dough seems dry, add more milk, a little at a time. Add the rosemary and lemon zest and combine.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and press into a somewhat flattened disk, just a bit smaller in diameter than the skillet.
- Transfer to the prepared skillet. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the disk, from edge to edge, and about and inch deep.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the bread is golden, and a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool slightly and serve warm with butter.
Demeter says
Patricia says
Sabrina says
Patricia says
Leigh Suznovich says
Patricia says
Catalina says
Patricia says
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Patricia says
Taylor says
Patricia says
Amy says
Patricia says
Kelsie says
Patricia says
Christa says
Patricia says
Ernest Contreras says
Patricia says
Emily says
Patricia says
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
Patricia says