Irish Soda Bread

Soda bread is the everyday bread of Ireland, made without yeast and leavened instead with bicarbonate of soda reacting with buttermilk, so it can be baked quickly and fresh. Dense, slightly tangy and hearty, in brown and white versions and often marked with a cross, it accompanies stew, breakfast and everything in between, and every family has its recipe.

Highlights

• The round loaf - the dense soda bread marked with a cross on top.
• Brown and white - the wholemeal brown and the white versions.
• With butter - the classic serving, warm with butter.
• With stew and breakfast - the bread that accompanies the Irish table.

When to go

Year-round; best fresh and warm from a bakery or home oven, with butter. It is an everyday staple found everywhere.

Things to know

It is simple, homely bread rather than an artisan loaf, so enjoy it as the everyday staple it is. It is dense and best eaten fresh, since it stales quickly. The brown wholemeal version is nuttier and, to many, the finest.

Nearby

Bakeries and cafes across Ireland serve it; it belongs with Irish stew and the full breakfast.