Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

Hearty. Slightly sweet. Perfectly tender. This Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread with Raisins is a simple, traditional-style loaf made with wholesome ingredients and no yeast. It’s rustic, comforting, and filled with sweet pops of raisins in every bite. Whether you’re baking it for St. Patrick’s Day, a cozy weekend breakfast, or to serve alongside soup, this easy quick bread has no rise time required.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No yeast

• Slightly sweet with bursts of raisins

• Hearty whole wheat flavor

• Perfect with butter and jam

Tips for the Best Soda Bread

• Don’t overmix — this keeps the bread tender

• Use real buttermilk for best texture and flavor

• If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 ½ cups milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes.

How to Serve

This bread is delicious:

• Warm with salted butter

• Toasted with honey or jam

• With a cup of tea or coffee

• Alongside soup or stew

• As a simple breakfast with eggs

Storage

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, slice and freeze. Toast straight from frozen when ready to enjoy.

Recipe

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

Makes 2 small loaves

Ingredients:

·         4 cups of whole wheat flour

·         1 tablespoon of salt

·         2 tablespoons of brown sugar

·         1 tablespoon of baking soda

·         2 eggs

·         2 cups of buttermilk

·         1/4 cup of melted butter

·         1 cup of raisins

Directions:

1.      In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.

2.      In a separate large bowl combine the brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter.

3.      Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix them together. Add the raisins. You can use a spoon in the beginning, but it may start to get too hard to use a spoon. If that happens, I recommend switching to using your hands.

4.      After it is mixed well, cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour

5.      Preheat the oven to 350-degree Fahrenheit.

6.      Cut the dough in half.

7.      Then on a floured surface, knead each dough half for about 5 minutes and add a little bit of flour so it is sticky but doesn’t stick to your hands too much.

8.      Then shape them into balls and put on greased glass pans or greased baking sheets

9.      Cut an X on the top of each bread ball

10. Bake for about 60-70 minutes. Check if the bread is done with an internal thermometer. The internal thermometer will reach 190 degrees.

11. Let the bread cool down for 30 minutes before slicing

This Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread with Raisins is rustic, wholesome, and wonderfully simple — the kind of recipe that feels timeless and comforting. If you bake it, I’d love to see your loaf! Share it in our community group and tell us how you served it. ☘️

-Tina