Sourdough Irish Soda Bread, No Shamrock 5K but Spring has Sprung

When St. Patty’s Day rolled around, I realized my avocadorunners site didn’t have an Irish Soda bread recipe. This was a problem that needed fixing! And no I am not Irish….but I love a good excuse to make something festive and yummy.

I grew up enjoying my mom’s Irish Soda bread but like most other recipes, I tend to alter them to make them a bit healthier. In this recipe I used coconut sugar, grass fed butter, and my sourdough starter. I just love everything about baking with sourdough. This recipe is so simple to make (no proofing required), and great for someone who is new to the world of sourdough. I love my mom’s traditional sourdough so I wanted something similar but with the added tang you get from using sourdough discard.

My mom used the traditional King Arthur recipe which is delicious. My recipe is similar using both whole wheat and all purpose flours. I used my fresh fed starter but your discard will definitley work since the baking soda is doing most of the heavy lifting and therefore no need to proof you’re dough. Bottom line, this is a simple, easy recipe for sourdough Irish soda bread…Slightly sweet with a hint of butter!

I have no idea why in America we tend to only make this around St Patrick’s Day🤷🏼‍♀️. To be perfectly honest, I can’t imagine celebrating St Patrick’s Day without a it. In Ireland they tend to enjoy this bread year round with soups, stews, and served warm with tea. Maybe we should make this more often too?

Because I rarely have time to bake during the week, we had this over the weekend with a yummy Vegan Irish Stew which I also can’t wait to share. Speaking of the weekend, we welcomed spring with lots of sunshine but an incredible amount of wind. I unfortunately didn’t participate in my favorite Shamrock Race, but I did get in a nice jog/walk with my husband who graciously snapped a couple photos of me running in my festive running clothes💚.

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In the mean time, gather your ingredients and get ready to bake a simple and quick sourdough bread.

• All Purpose Flour
• Whole Wheat
• Coconut Sugar
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Butter
• Egg
• Sourdough discard or fresh fed starter
• Buttermilk
• Raisins or Currants (I prefer currants but I was out so I used raisins)

You can definitley mix this by hand but if you do have kitchen aid stand mixer, it will come together much more quickly!

You’ll notice the dough is quite sticky but after kneading for just a few minutes it will come together and form a nice smooth ball. If you need to add a little flour while kneading it’s ok to do so. I simply floured my surface and it was fine. Next score you’re dough, bake for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees F, enjoy warm smeared with butter because why not😉.

Once out of the oven let it rest briefly before cutting. Tip..Irish soda bread is best cut into wedges with a large serrated knife because it has a similar texture to a scone. I also love this warm out of the oven or at room temp smeared with more grass fed butter.

And yes, traditional Irish Soda bread does not use a sourdough starter, but as mentioned above, I not only love the flavor it’s also much better for you! You can google why cultured foods are healthier if you don’t believe me😉.

MORE SOURDOUGH DISCARD RECIPES

• Sourdough Pancakes
• Sourdough Muffins
• Sourdough Biscuits
• Sourdough Granola

SOURDOUGH IRISH SODA BREAD

Adapted from King Arthur

INGREDIENTS:

• 350 g all purpose flour
• 25 grams whole wheat flour
• 30 to 50 grams coconut sugar depending on how sweet you like
• 5 grams baking soda
• 7 grams fine sea salt
• 60 grams unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes (I used Kerry Gold)
• 1 large egg
• 170 grams buttermilk (I am not sure dairy free would work as well?)
• 200 grams sourdough starter discard (see notes)
• 150 grams raisins or currants

Notes

• If you do not have buttermilk, use 3/4 cup milk + 1 scant tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
• My sourdough discard is 100% hydration. This means it’s made up of equal parts flour and water by weight, and has a thick, batter-like texture. Your starter might be a different hydration % which is fine.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, and mix until incorporated.
3. Lightly beat the egg, buttermilk, and sourdough discard together in a separate bowl.
4. Woking in batches, gradually pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture.
5. Add the raisins. Mix to combine; the dough will be slightly wet and sticky.
6. Scoop the dough onto a well floured surface. Knead it a few times into a round ball. Cut an “x” into the top.
7. Bake on the center rack for 45-55 minutes. If necessary, cover the loaf with foil at the 40 minute mark to prevent over browning. The soda bread is finished when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 
9. With a serrated knife, cut into wedges (much easier than slices), and serve warm or at room temperature with butter. Soda bread is best enjoyed on the same day it’s made

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Did you make Irish Soda bread this year?

If so with dried fruit or without?

Did you run in a Favorite St Patricks Day race?