PBS

Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread

Happy {early} St. Patrick’s Day!

Okay, so I’ve never been one to go all out for this holiday {don’t have a bit of Irish blood in me and can’t stand the idea of green beer} BUT I use it as an excuse to make fun food.Β  Last year, I went all out with these creamy lime squares and think I actually might make those again this weekend! They’re the best. Has it really been a year?

Anyway, I decided to keep things simple this go around and bake some soda bread. Y’all, if baking bread freaksΒ  you out this is THE recipe for you! It’s literally impossible to mess up. There’s no yeast involved and it goes straight from mixing bowl to oven in under ten minutes. Oats aren’t very traditional in this bread but I added them just because. Because.

Like I said — super easy to make and really yummy when dunked into soup or smeared with butter and jam. I love whipping up an easy bread like this when friends come over for dinner because then I’m not chained to the kitchen and we still can have warm, fresh bread with our meal. Win-win.

Sprinkling more oats on top just makes the bread prettier, in my humble opinion. Irish soda bread is supposed to error on the “rustic” side and I happen to like the crunch of oats in every bite!

So there ya have it! I think this is the easiest bread recipe on earth. And it’s gooooooooood. πŸ™‚

Grab the recipe over at PBS Food!

 

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  • Crystal
    March 15, 2013 at 4:10 am

    This is a really good, really easy bread to make. When my girls were little, I found a recipe for it in Family Fun that uses handfuls to measure the flour instead of cups. It was a great recipe to make with Sallie and Nora, and I even got to throw in a little family history lesson. Their great grandmother came over from Ireland on a boat in the ’20s. She was a wonderful baker and didn’t use measuring cups!

  • Cory
    March 15, 2013 at 4:32 am

    I love Irish Soda Bread! My mom makes it all the time and I love it when she brings over a loaf every once in a while. It is perfection with a hearty bowl of soup or stew. Cannot wait to make this!

  • Anne
    March 15, 2013 at 4:34 am

    Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes!

    Every recipe of yours I have tried has been to die for! Not only is baking bread one of my favorite things on earth, but I adore dark, dense, breads, and Irish Soda Bread fits the bill, I can’t wait to make it!!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
    March 15, 2013 at 4:36 am

    I got very excited when I saw this posted in my Instagram feed last night! I can’t bring myself to drink green beer either, but creamy lime squares and Irish soda bread (not together) are two things I could definitely get on board with! Happy (early) St Patty’s Jenna!

  • Sara @ sarasmiles
    March 15, 2013 at 4:54 am

    I had no idea baking a bread could be this easy! Thanks for sharing and I love the thought of adding the oats too

  • Averie @ Averie Cooks
    March 15, 2013 at 4:58 am

    I made a soda bread-ish round loaf (haven’t blogged about it yet) but what I was thinking when I was making it was how forgiving the dough was and pretty much impossible to screw up! Yours is delish looking – love the oats!

  • Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
    March 15, 2013 at 4:59 am

    I really need to try this! Yum!

  • Molly @ RDexposedr
    March 15, 2013 at 5:02 am

    I suppose I should have an Irish soda bread recipe since I am half Irish.

  • Amy Walters, aDESIGNdock
    March 15, 2013 at 5:07 am

    Yes! Finally a bread recipe that doesn’t totally overwhelm me. Thanks Jenna!!!

  • Beth
    March 15, 2013 at 5:20 am

    Sounds like a giant biscuit. How could that be bad? I am planning to make a pot of beef stew with Guinness stout, in true Irish fashion, this weekend. This will be great with it. Thanks.

  • Tieghan
    March 15, 2013 at 5:58 am

    I love the addition of the oats! This bread would be so good with a large pat is irish butter!

  • Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
    March 15, 2013 at 6:14 am

    I love love love baking bread, so I can’t wait to try this tonight!

  • erin @hooleywithaz
    March 15, 2013 at 6:54 am

    i think this will go perfect with our corned beef and cabbage on sunday! (i myself am quite close to 100% irish…erin go bragh!)

  • Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
    March 15, 2013 at 6:54 am

    I’ve never tried Irish soda bread but this looks so good! Have a Happy St.Pattys Day!

  • joelle (on a pink typewriter)
    March 15, 2013 at 6:56 am

    This looks fabulous! I have never made bread (besides banana bread), so now’s the time.

  • Beth Sheridan
    March 15, 2013 at 7:34 am

    I’ve never tried any Irish soda bread, but I’m half terrified of making bread, so this may be the recipe for me! It looks great, and I love the added touch of oats πŸ™‚

  • A farmer in the dell
    March 15, 2013 at 7:53 am

    I’m scared to death of baking bread. This may be my gateway recipe!!!

  • luv what you do
    March 15, 2013 at 7:55 am

    I just threw a loaf in the oven! I will have to make another one this weekend because this looks amazing!

    • jenna
      March 15, 2013 at 7:58 am

      you’re fast!! πŸ™‚ Let me know how it turns out!

  • Sarah
    March 15, 2013 at 8:34 am

    Perfect! My friends and I have a supper group to go to on Saturday that is a St. Pattie’s day celebration. We were looking for a good recipe for Irish Soda Bread and this looks SO GOOD. So excited to make this and have it with some good stew. Thank you!

  • Heather
    March 15, 2013 at 9:00 am

    I have an Irish soda bread recipe from my grandmother that I’ve been meaning to try (also not Irish but my husband is) so maybe I’ll be baking some bread this weekend!

  • Katya
    March 15, 2013 at 9:46 am

    Do you bake this on a sheet or like a dutch oven?

    • jenna
      March 15, 2013 at 9:46 am

      Nope – just on a baking sheet. πŸ™‚

  • Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl
    March 15, 2013 at 9:51 am

    This looks fantastic! Ever since I have seen Irish soda bread mentioned on several blogs, I have been wanting to try to make my own. Baking bread totally intimidates me, though! Your recipe sounds simple enough and like something that I can handle! Thanks :).

  • Sarah
    March 15, 2013 at 10:11 am

    I adore soda bread but have never made it, which is a disgrace as I am actually Irish!

  • Padma
    March 15, 2013 at 11:14 am

    I’ve never baked bread before (not counting banana bread), because it seems so complicated. But this one looks doable. Fingers crossed that it turns out as yummy looking as yours! πŸ™‚

  • Abby
    March 15, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    Every Friday my roommate and I have bread/cheese/it’s-friday-wine night for supper and usually whip up that 12-hour rise, crusty, no knead bread sometime during the week for the occasion. But busiest week ever = no time for crusty bread. Then I read this today and got super excited because it meant crusty bread night could be salvaged. The loaf’s in the oven now and smells GREAT. Thanks!

    • Live Love Yum
      March 16, 2013 at 2:51 am

      That sounds so neat you spend time with your roomie. Great way to end the week – and start the weekend!

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  • Caroline L.
    March 15, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Happy early St. Patrick’s Day! I’ll use anything as an excuse for yummy food πŸ™‚

  • Johnny
    March 15, 2013 at 2:25 pm

    I just grabbed the recipe because I know how much she likes bread. I like it too but it’s not a deal breaker. We were wanting to try it this weekend with a little family get together. We’ll see what everyone thinks.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin
    March 15, 2013 at 3:27 pm

    I just made Irish soda bread a few days ago! My mom introduced me to it a few years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love how delicious, and best of all EASY, it is!

  • Laurel
    March 15, 2013 at 3:47 pm

    Irish soda bread is definitely ideal for anyone who is afraid of making a good bread! Beer bread is another good alternative (especially if you have leftover beer from the weekend’s festivities — or maybe it’s best to just put some aside now ;)) as the yeast is provided in the beer. πŸ™‚ Easy peasy.

    • James87
      May 27, 2013 at 2:08 pm

      Mmm, beer bread sounds good. What kind of beer would you use? Surely if you used Guinness the bread would be black!!

  • Laura
    March 16, 2013 at 2:37 am

    One day, mark my words, one day I will make bread… maybe!!!

  • Beth @ CraveableCleveland
    March 16, 2013 at 4:25 am

    Looks so delicious! I’ve never been hugely fond of the texture of soda bread but a slice of this toasted and slathered with butter and jam sounds pretty divine to me :).

  • Jane @ Not Plain So Jane
    March 16, 2013 at 6:51 am

    I want to check out the creamy lime squares now! This bread looks delicious too!

  • Joshua Hampton @Cooking Classes San Diego
    March 16, 2013 at 7:47 am

    Baking bread does intimidate me sometimes. But you’re right, the recipe does look easy to do. Thanks for sharing it.

  • Sonal
    March 17, 2013 at 4:09 am

    Happy St Paddy’s day! πŸ™‚ This bread recipe seems pretty do-able, I might just attempt it! Thanks Jenna πŸ™‚

  • maggie
    March 17, 2013 at 5:19 am

    One of my favorites, I make soda bread all the time but then again my mom was Irish so I guess it’s genetic.Happy St Patricks day

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  • Lauri
    March 17, 2013 at 3:23 pm

    This looks easy! About how many slices do you think it yields?

    • jenna
      March 17, 2013 at 5:46 pm

      Depends on how thick you slice your bread! πŸ™‚ I’d say probably eight slices?

  • Carla
    March 17, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    Spread some beef stew over Irish Soda bread — talk out food just like Mum makes!

  • Jessica
    March 18, 2013 at 12:15 am

    The bread looks great. I love making bread at home. It always more tasty and fresher than from a bakery shop.

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  • Stacey I
    March 18, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    This looks wonderful!! My husband isn’t very big on oats – could I just omit them from this recipe? Thanks for all the fabulous recipes, love your blog!! And also really enjoyed your book πŸ™‚

  • Marcus
    March 19, 2013 at 8:39 am

    This might even be simpler than my friend’s easy bread recipe that he gave me a while back. Although to be honest, I use a bread machine so I cheat and most bread recipes are pretty easy:) I usually have tons of oats lying around so good to find another use for them.

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  • Francesca
    April 8, 2013 at 9:54 am

    I made my second loaf of this yesterday. It’s sooo simple and absolutely delicious. We are having it tonight with split pea soup. I love to let this cool, slice it, and pop it in the freezer. A slice or two makes the perfect snack…toasted with butter and honey. Oh my! This was my first time making bread and I was so happy it didn’t require yeast. I didn’t have buttermilk on hand…so I just added vinegar to milk. Worked perfectly!

    One question though–Yours seems to be much fluffier than mine. Maybe I used a bit too much liquid?

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    Great recipe! You can’t beat the taste of fresh bread straight outta the oven. I actually think Irish food is really underrated. Has anyone seen a book called the Surf Cafe Cookbook? My girlfriend was given a copy by one of her cousins and she’s been trying out some of their recipes. Really good! I’d recommend that book, especially if you’re into surfing (it’s a kinda cookery / lifestyle book).

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