Irish Whole-Grain Soda Bread

Irish whole-grain soda bread is the rugged country cousin to the simple white loaf, with rolled oats and whole wheat flour giving the crumb a nutty, slightly chewy bite that pairs beautifully with strong tea or a bowl of stew. Buttermilk reacts with baking soda for the lift, no yeast needed, which is why traditional soda bread comes together so quickly in Irish kitchens. The molasses is a small but mighty addition, two tablespoons add a deep, slightly bitter sweetness and that telltale dark crumb the best soda breads have. This version is adapted for a bread machine, which is a smart shortcut, just note that the machine’s knead-and-rise cycle isn’t strictly necessary for a chemically leavened bread, so a quick-bread or cake setting works better than a standard yeast cycle. The result is a sturdy, sliceable loaf that toasts beautifully and keeps for days wrapped in a tea towel.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the quick-bread or cake cycle on your bread machine if it has one, the long yeast knead can develop too much gluten in this mostly chemically leavened dough.
• Real cultured buttermilk tastes brighter than the powdered substitute, the tang is essential to soda bread’s character.
• Don’t skip the molasses, even a tablespoon of honey is a better substitute than nothing if you’re out, the dark sweetness defines the loaf.
• Wrap leftover slices in a clean tea towel rather than plastic, soda bread sweats and goes soggy in a sealed bag.

Variations

• Stir in a handful of raisins or currants for a sweeter, more spotted-dog style loaf.
• Add a tablespoon of caraway seeds for the classic Irish-American soda bread profile.
• Replace the molasses with honey or golden syrup for a milder, sweeter version with a lighter crumb.