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This mini Irish soda bread is a no-yeast loaf with a crisp crust and tender crumb. Made with simple ingredients, it’s easy to prepare and perfect served warm with butter or alongside soups and stews.
Featured Comment
“I have made this many times exactly how you wrote it. It is very, very good.”
– Donna
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Yeast Needed: Simple to make with clear, easy steps.
- Quick to Prepare: Fresh bread that bakes in under an hour.
- Versatile: Delicious with soups, stews, or a pat of butter.
- Customizable: Add currants, caraway seeds, or adjust sweetness.
- Traditional: Brings the taste of Irish heritage to your table.r table.
Irish Soda Bread is one of my favorites for its simplicity and tradition. This mini version has a crisp crust, tender crumb, and balanced flavor. With buttermilk for a slight tang, you can mix, shape, and bake – no yeast or long waits required.
Serve this small loaf of Irish Soda Bread with a bowl of Irish stew for one or colcannon for one or enjoy it with your morning tea or coffee topped with a dollop of homemade refrigerator jam.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small Irish soda bread recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the bread, giving it structure and softness. Use a gluten-free all-purpose blend if needed.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds light sweetness. Reduce or omit for a less sweet loaf.
- Salt: Brings out the bread’s flavor.
- Baking Soda: Reacts with buttermilk to make the bread rise. Make sure it’s fresh.
- Cold Salted Butter: Adds richness and moisture. If using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch of salt.
- Raisins, Currants, or Caraway Seeds (Optional): aisins or currants give a sweet chew; caraway seeds add mild spice. Leave out if you prefer. Extra raisins can be used in small batch hermit cookies, small batch oatmeal raisin cookies or small batch cream scones.
- Egg Yolk: Adds richness and golden color. Save the white for egg white recipes like small batch meringues or mini Texas sheet cake.
- Buttermilk: Provides acidity to work with baking soda for lift. No buttermilk? Mix ½ cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar; let sit 10 minutes. Leftover buttermilk can be used in mini buttermilk pie, buttermilk quick bread, small batch butter swim biscuits, or chicken nuggets for one.
Recipe Variations
Try these tasty soda bread variations:
- Fruit-Filled: Add raisins, currants, or other dried fruit.
- Herb-Infused: Stir in chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
- Seed-Topped: Sprinkle sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds on top before baking.
- Cheesy: Mix in shredded cheddar or Parmesan.
How To Make Irish Soda Bread
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small loaf of Irish Soda Bread. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- Cut in cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins if using.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and buttermilk, then pour into the dry ingredients.
- Gently mix until just combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly, and shape into a round loaf.
- Place on a baking sheet and score a ½-inch-deep “X” on top with a sharp knife.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
Expert Tips
- Mix Well: Blend dry ingredients thoroughly before adding buttermilk for even flavor and texture.
- Handle Lightly: Keep the dough shaggy, not smooth. Minimal handling makes the bread tender.
- Score the Top: Cut a deep “X” to help the bread bake evenly.
- Check Early: Start checking a few minutes before the bake time ends, as ovens vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Irish soda bread is a quick bread made without yeast. It uses baking soda and buttermilk for leavening, resulting in a tender and flavorful loaf with a crisp crust.
No. This bread rises from the reaction between baking soda and buttermilk, so no yeast or proofing time is needed.
Yes. Mix ½ cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes before using.
Wrap the cooled bread tightly in foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Yes. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
RELATED: Best Soup Recipes For One
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this Irish soda bread recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
If you’ve tried this small Irish soda bread recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cold salted butter cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- Cut in cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins if using.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and buttermilk, then pour into the dry ingredients. Gently mix until combined.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly, and shape into a 4-inch circle. Tip: Add a little more flour if the dough is sticky.
- Place on a baking sheet and score a ½-inch-deep “X” on top with a sharp knife.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.Tip: If the top browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
- Let the bread cool slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Mix Well: Blend dry ingredients thoroughly before adding buttermilk for even flavor and texture.
- Handle Lightly: Keep the dough shaggy, not smooth. Minimal handling makes the bread tender.
- Score the Top: Cut a deep “X” to help the bread bake evenly.
- Check Early: Start checking a few minutes before the bake time ends, as ovens vary.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I have made this many times exactly how you wrote it. It is very, very good. Thank you.
I am unable to use eggs, is there a substitute? I am anxious to try this recipie first St Patrick’s day!
I haven’t tested this recipe without the egg yolk, but you could try replacing it with an extra tablespoon of buttermilk or a tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce. The egg yolk adds richness, so the texture may be slightly different, but it should still work. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Remember to cut the ‘x’ in the top, to let the faeries out! (Irish )
Can I make a double recipe and but bake it into one loaf instead of 2 loaves? And if I can, what temperature and how long should I bake it for?
Yes, you can double the ingredients, the bake time should be pretty close. Keep an eye on the bread and check for doneness with a tap on the bottom—it should sound hollow.
Thank you for these receipes for 1-2 Do you have any Diabetic receipes
We don’t have a specific category labeled as diabetic recipes, but you might find our low-carb category helpful. Many low-carb recipes can be a good fit for diabetics since they help regulate blood sugar by reducing carbohydrate intake. However, it’s always important to check the total carbohydrates and fiber content to make sure a recipe works for your needs.
You can search for recipes by diet using the menu at the top of each page. Hope this helps! Let me know if you’re looking for something specific.
Can it be baked in an air fryer. If yes, what temperature and for how long.
We have not tested this recipe in an air fryer.
Is this for one small loaf or is the 4 servings for small loaves? I suspect it’s one. I’m hoping to make several
It is one small that you can get four servings from.
How thick should the bread be when it’s shaped into the loaf? Two inches, three?
Does the higher the loaf the longer it takes to bake?
It should be shaped into about a 4-inch round, as shown in the photos and in the recipe card. I haven’t measured the height exactly, but if the loaf is shaped thicker than the 4 inches recommended in the recipe, it may need a few extra minutes of baking time.
I love adding 1-2 teaspoons of Caraway seeds.
The dough was wildly sticky when I attempted to put it on my floured work surface. Thoughts?
I added more flour slowly (difficult to not work the dough to much lol). Tasted good and I want to make again.
Thank you for all your recipes.
I found this recipe was so easy to make, it is also delicious. I left the dried fruit out as I don’t like it in anything else, it didn’t make any difference. Thank you for your great recipes, when you live by yourself it is difficult to find small size recipes.
This was easy to make and bake! I liked that it just made a small loaf. We loved the taste of it! It is at it’s best toasted! I expected it to be hard and crunchy after it was toasted but it was so tender. My favorite way to eat it! Loved it! I will be making it again and again! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Just made this today for St Patrick’s Day. I made colcannon too for the first time. They were both very good. Thanks for the recipe
3/17/24
Happy St Paddy’s Day, I made this today! Turned out great, the only change I made was I added a quarter of a teaspoon of baking powder. Thank you for the recipe!☘️🍀🇮🇪❤️
I was very excited to try this recipe for my St. Patrick’s Day dinner. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but my dough was more like a batter. I followed the instructions and measured the ingredients exactly to the recipe. The dough in the bowl was very wet, not resembling shaggy dough. I had to add a bit more flour to stiffen it enough to form it. It appears to have baked nicely, the bottom is a tad moist and somewhat cake like. Any suggestions would be great as I’m going to give this another go.
Baking can sometimes be a bit unpredictable, but let’s see if we can troubleshoot.
Your dough turning out more like batter instead of being thick could be because of a few simple things. First, check the flour you’re using. Different kinds of flour soak up liquids in different ways. If the flour isn’t exactly what the recipe asks for, it might change how the dough turns out.
Your local weather or how high above sea level you are can also affect your baking. If it’s really humid or you’re in a high place, you might need to tweak how much liquid or flour you use.
Since you mentioned the dough was very wet, it’s possible that there was a bit too much liquid in the mixture. When you try the recipe again, you might want to add the liquid gradually and stop when the dough reaches the desired consistency.
The way you measure ingredients is super important too. For flour, make sure you’re gently spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. If you scoop directly from the bag, you might end up with too much.
Finally, check your oven’s heat. If the bread is a bit moist at the bottom, it might need to bake longer, or the oven might not be hot enough. An oven thermometer can help you make sure the temperature is just right.
Delicious and easy. Followed recipe and did add a tiny bit more flour. Crumb is tender and light.
I made today, As Written, Only thing I did different was sprinkle with Sugar, Absolutely Delicious, and Perfect size.
For your Soda Bread I do not have Buttermilk so what should I use instead of Buttermilk.
Will greatly appreciate your suggestion.
Thank you for a quick reply.
Buttermilk is essential for its reaction with baking soda, which helps the bread rise. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can create a homemade version by combining ½ cup (112 milliliters) of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before using.
Love your mini recipes. There’s just me so they’re perfect. Eager to give the colcannon and Irish soda bread a try. Keep it up.
As a huge fan of Irish Soda Bread, yours is a hit! I love that this is a small size recipe and adding the egg yolk for tenderness is genius. I read the tiny tweaks of others and added 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar to help a bit with the rise and lowered the cooking temperature to 375 degrees. I pulled it when the interior reached 180 degrees, and it only took about 25 minutes; however, my toaster oven runs hot.
Mini Irish Soda bread
You did not include caraway seeds. I want to include them. How many seeds should I put in this small bread?
If you’d like to make Irish Soda Bread with caraway seeds, I would add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (depending on your preference) of the seeds.
I’ve tested a few dozen soda bread recipes over the years and the best ones have had baking powder, as well as baking soda, in the dough. This one doesn’t. The bread rose beautifully, the crust was nice and craggy without being hard, but the crumb, despite being soft and moist, was a bit bready/dense. I followed the recipe, using 120 grams flour, and the dough wasn’t sticky. My baked bread looked just like the one pictured with the recipe. It was golden brown and tested done in 28 minutes. My oven is accurate. I keep 2 oven thermometers in it to keep an eye on the temperature. The next time I make this I’ll add some baking powder to see if it lightens the crumb.
I substituted rosemary for raisins. Great flavor. Outside was brown and tough after 15 minutes. Took it out of 425 degree oven and to my surprise, the inside was already done. It was still edible. What did I do wrong? Will it help to lower the temp? Really would like to get it to work, it’s reaĺly good!
Swapping rosemary for raisins sounds like a tasty twist! It seems your oven might be running hotter than it indicates. Try lowering the temperature next time. This should help achieve a more even cooking without over-browning the outside.
I don’t like raisins can I omit completely or include other dried fruits.
Absolutely, you can easily leave the raisins out if they’re not to your taste. This Irish soda bread recipe is super flexible! You can also swap in other dried fruits like dried cranberries or chopped apricots to give it your own twist.
The Irish Soda Bread was delicious with the baked fish and salad. My guests loved it!
Wonderful! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it all.
At what temperature should the oven be?
Heat the oven to 425 F (220 C) – Step 1 in the recipe box.
how would I adjust the cooking time for muffin size servings?
We have not adapted this recipe to make muffins.
Good morning! I am so happy I found you and use your recipes all the time!
For this soda brad, would it be alright to substitute plain Greek yogurt for the buttermilk?
Thank you,
Catherine
Hi Catherine, I have not tested this recipe with Greek yogurt as a substitute for buttermilk.
Just tried this tonight, literally the first time I’ve ever made bread myself. I did have to add more flour as it was very wet, and the crust is pretty hard. Added just about 2 T caraway seeds because I’m craving that flavor. The warm bread is so delicious with butter and dipped into soup broth!
Thanks for this!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the bread, Julie. Thank you for your feedback.
I found it wet also, probably because her flour measurement is off. 1 cup of flour is about 128 grams, not 140 as listed in the metric. Digging into the flour ( a no no) will increase the amount. I’ve made it several times and it is good. I add additional raisins and I love it with chocolate chips.
A very nice mini loaf. Just another great recipe. I do add additional raisins and brush the top with beaten egg yolk and water. My concern is that 1 cup of flour (measured correctly) is not 140 grams. It’s about 128 grams. With the 1 cup of flour the dough is sticky so additional flour is needed on the hands. I think the metric amount needs to be tweaked. Thanks for a good recipe.
I was looking at your Irish Soda Bread and it says you can use or leave out the Caraway Seeds. I would like to use them, but the recipe doesn’t show an amount that would be required. Thank you.
Hi Raymond, I don’t usually use caraway seeds but if you’d like to add them I would suggest using about 1/2 teaspoon which should give a subtle caraway flavor. Of course, feel free to add a bit more if you’d like a stronger flavor.
Thank you for taking time to answer my question.
Joanie,
I’m just discovering your site and recipes. What you do is beautiful and well done. I feel like I’ve just discovered a precious and perfect gold mine. Also, your logo is the BEST!
Blessings on your continued success.
Vicki Shellenberger
What can I use instead of buttermilk
This ingredient reacts to the baking soda which helps the bread to rise. If you don’t have buttermilk, the closest substitute would be a little dairy with a touch of acidity added. To make ½ cup of buttermilk, measure ½ cup milk (112 milliliters) and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before using.
Can I double this recipe?
Thank you
Yes, this recipe can be doubled.
I know I am a bit late commenting but the cross is scored in the top of Irish soda bread “to let the devil out”. Aside from that, it helps with even cooking!
I loved this recipe! The bread started browning early which scared me, so I took it out about 10 minutes too soon. It was still slightly raw in the middle, so trust the process! It tasted delicious, though. I did not have buttermilk so I used the substitution, and it worked just fine.
My Irish soda bread only took 22 minutes instead of 35 to bake. Why would it take less time?
It probably took less time because your oven may have been running hotter.
When I make a full sized irish soda bread, I use a 10″ cast iron pan. What size cast iron would you recommend to make this mini loaf?
I use a baking sheet but your 10-inch cast iron skillet would be fine to use. Just form the dough into a 4-inch circle as written in the recipe and place it in the center of the skillet to bake.
Delicious and so easy. Love it. Served with Brunswick stew.
I’m sitting here enjoy my perfectly lovely soda bread. I used a whole egg to cut down waste and caraway seeds instead of fruit which is not my thing. So happy! I’ve made your cornbread too. Thank you for you great recipes!
Hello,
As a recent widow, I found out I have no idea how to cook for one person, finding you has been a lifesaver and no more throwing away leftovers.
Many blessings to you.
Thank you so much, Michele. I’m so glad you are finding the recipe helpful.
EVERY RECIPE OF YOURS THAT I HAVE TRIED
IS GREAT. I AM GLAD THAT I CAME ACROSS
YOUR SITE. THANK YOU. PAT
Thank you so much, Pat.
I’m going to recommend a scraper for folks who are having a ticking problems. Scrapers are light years better than hands for easily handling these soft doughs. I don’t think this should be a hard form batter. I did have to throw down some flour when doing the knead but with a scraper, I had no problems. Just a hint- you will love it for other things too!
I added a little rye and caraway to my dough and my Dad and husband used it for biscuity reubens!
I just tried this recipe and the dough was so soft (almost liquid) that it could not be turned out onto a work surface or much less kneaded. I have checked and rechecked my recipe and the ONLY thing that I did wrong was add too many raisins but that shouldn’t have caused the dough to be too soft. Has anyone else had this problem?
Hi Betsy,
It sounds like you may have needed to add a little more flour to your work surface and possibly a little more to the dough itself (see step 5).
This was so good and super simple! I didn’t add sugar and in place of raisins I added a few small cubes of cheddar cheese.
Oh, I love the idea of adding cheese. I’ll have to give it a try.
Thank you.
Joanie
Could I use almond flour instead of AP flour, use monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar, and substitute the buttermilk to make it low carb/keto?
Hi Darlene,
I haven’t tested the recipe using those substitutions, so I’m not totally sure how they would work. If you do make the recipe with the subs, please let me know how they worked for you.
Joanie
I followed everything to a T and the dough was so sticky. At least a third stuck to my counter and hands. What happened? I loved the simplicity of this recipe but not the gorilla glue effect. Help!
Hi Allison,
It sounds like you might have needed to add a little more flour to the dough as I suggest in step 5 of the recipe. This would make the dough easier to handle.
Joanie
I made this and it was amazing. Moist, delicious, soft, so good. I used real buttermilk and craisins, worth it. Will make using a buttermilk substitute.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the soda bread. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie
I’ve just baked your mini loaf. This is how it turned out but it’s not cool enough to cut into. I am thinking they are a nice size to make when going to see a friend for lunch or tea/coffee. I did put sugar in it.
I haven’t tasted it yet so I can’t fill in the 5 the star.
I took a photo of it but can’t attach it here – however it looks lovely.
Karen
Hi my name is ms, Lynette a, miller and i was just wonding if you have a cookbook i have all ready try,ed your recipe,s and the one,s that i have try,ed are really good and again i was just wonding ok you for your time Ms , Lynette A Miller at millerlynette6@gmail.com
Hi Lynette, thank you for your kind words. Yes, we do have a cookbook that we are working on right now and will be published on December 3,2019. We’re so excited about it. It is currently up for presale on Amazon and should be in all major bookstores when it is published. Here is a link to the book on Amazon so you can read more about it – https://amzn.to/2J0DJ2R
Thanks so much for asking about it and have a wonderful day.
Joanie
Hi Joanie, regarding making buttermilk, most websites say to use just 1 tbsp to make 1 cup. Yours calls for a double amount of the vinegar… is it exclusively for this recipe? Thank you.
Hi Cynthia, I’ve always used roughly 1 tablespoon or the squeeze of half a lemon in 1/2 cup milk. That is what I recommend for this recipe.
Hi Joanie, it turned out very well! I used a mix of dates and raisins. Very Delicious. Thanks!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the soda bread. Thank you so much for letting me know!
I love your recipes for one or two.
Thank you so much, Dorothy!