Cheesy Irish Soda Bread
This Irish soda bread is super simple and full of so much cheesy flavor!
Have you tried Irish soda bread yet?
I admit, I’m a little late to the party. I baked my first loaf last year for St. Patty’s Day and immediately regretted not making it a part of my life sooner. It’s soft and tender, with wonderful crispy edges and great flavor from the butter and buttermilk. Plus it’s so easy to make!
Irish soda bread requires just a few minutes of work, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already. It’s also extremely adaptable— you can make it sweet or savory, simple or full of mix-ins. But I have to confess that this version full of cheddar cheese and a little black pepper is my favorite. It makes a great accompaniment to almost any meal, but it’s also fabulous all on its own, slathered generously with butter.
baking tip:How to make buttermilk
Many baking recipes call for buttermilk, but sometimes I find myself without. Not to worry, because you can easily make a buttermilk substitute at home!
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice OR white vinegar to a liquid measuring glass.
- Fill the glass with milk to the 1 cup measurement line.
- Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir and use in place of 1 cup buttermilk.
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Cheesy Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (480 grams)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (56 grams), cold and cubed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (113 grams)
- 1 ½ cup buttermilk (375 ml), well-shaken
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper and soda.
- Use a pastry blender or a fork to blend the butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in the cheddar cheese.
- Whisk the buttermilk and egg together and pour it over the flour and butter mixture.
- Use a spoon and then your hands to bring the dough together into a ball. Dough should be very shaggy and slightly sticky.
- Shape into a ball, flatten slightly with your hands, and score a big "x" on top.
- Transfer dough to a cast iron skillet or a sheet pan lined with parchment.
- Bake until top is golden brown, 40-45 minutes.
- Serve warm with butter. Bread is even better toasted the next day!
Notes
- Feel free to use other shred-able cheeses like mozzarella, Swiss, pepper-jack, Parmesan, etc.
You forgot to tell people about adding the butter to the Irish cheesy bread.
Thank you for catching my typo!
Love making this as a tasty side to a braai.
I just made this tonight to go along with some soup for dinner, and it was amazing!! Perfect for when you want a fresh side of bread, but don’t have hours for the rise time that typical loaves require. We loved the texture and flavors, the edges get nice and crispy! Such an easy and delicious bread!
Can this bread be made using a food processor?
I haven’t tried it, but possibly!