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This unique, delicious Cheddar Herb Savory Irish Soda Bread goes well with soups, salads and just about any entree and yet comes together in well under an hour! It always brings rave reviews from young and old alike, Irish or not!
Although I grew up on homemade bread and have been making bread myself for many years, I never attempted soda bread until a few weeks ago. I don't mean to offend those of you with Irish heritage or true-blue-Irish-born-and-raised folks but, honestly, I thought soda bead looked kind of dry and uninteresting. Being a yeast-based bread maker, I thought a quick bread (without yeast) couldn't that good. Well, once again, I was wrong (really wrong!)... this Cheddar Herb Savory Irish Soda Bread was the deal-breaker for me!
So why did I suddenly decide to make Irish soda bread? It was in preparation for a trip we took to the beautiful Emerald Isle. Anytime Scott and I travel to a foreign country, I love to explore the cuisine of that area of the world before we leave. One of the foods that Ireland is famous for it their soda bread so, along with these Irish Shortbread Cookies and a beautiful and delicious Irish dessert, I thought soda bread recipes would be fun to try.
After experimenting with several recipes, I decided to go with a savory version. Although not traditional in Ireland, the addition of cheddar cheese and fresh herbs makes for a delicious soda bread that goes well with soups, salads and just about any entree.
Easy and quick!
Soda bread, in general, is very easy to throw together. Including the time to chop herbs and dice cheese, this fabulous savory soda bread will take less than an hour from start to serving thick, warm slices slathered with melting butter.
It's a matter of combining the dry ingredients, cheese and herbs then adding egg and buttermilk. Stir the two together, turn the dough out onto a work surface and form it into a rustic loaf. The oven does the rest and the result is a beautiful craggy-textured bread... far from "dry and uninteresting"!
Check out our video demonstration of the quick, easy technique:
During our few weeks in Ireland, we discovered that the Irish not only make wonderful soda bread but all kinds of other delicious bread. Each morning at breakfast, we've been served thick slices of toasted Irish brown bread. It's a version of soda bread made with whole wheat grains and a sprinkle of oatmeal on top.
We've also discovered that Irish yeast breads are also beautiful, tasty and are made in a myriad of shapes and flavors. It seems that even the smallest little groceries have a beautiful display of bread - short, round, oval, flat, tall, rustic, traditional loaves -and everything in between!
Scott snapped lots of pictures to convey the Irish bread prowess! Check out some of their culinary artwork:
Café Tips for making this Cheddar Herb Savory Irish Soda Bread
- Choose just one or a combination of fresh herbs for this bread. I have used different combinations of rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, sage and tarragon, all with delicious results. You'll need around two tablespoons of finely chopped herbs.
- The only exception is rosemary. If you're using just rosemary, reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon as rosemary has a stronger flavor than many other herbs.
- I like to use a medium or sharp cheddar for this recipe. Other cheese varieties would also be delicious but milder cheese like Mozzarella and Colby will yield a less flavorful bread.
- I like to dice the cheese in small cubes for this recipe but if you're in a big hurry, feel free to use packaged shredded cheese.
- Pine nuts are an optional ingredient in this recipe but do add a delicious, gourmet touch. I like to tuck a few pine extra nuts into the bread over the surface before baking for a pretty presentation.
- Although soda bread is best enjoyed on the day it's made, we love to use leftovers of this savory Irish soda bread for grilled cheese and other grilled sandwiches. It's also wonderful toasted in a pan with a bit of oil or butter and served with soup or salad.
- For easy cleanup, I like to put a piece of parchment paper (sprinkled generously with flour) on my work surface when shaping this soda bread. I use a separate piece on my sheet pan for no messy pans.
- I love these pre-cut parchment paper sheets. They fit a sheet pan perfectly and save lots of time when baking.
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Herbed Cheddar Savory Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs
- 4 ounces medium or sharp cheddar cheese, diced small (about ¼-inch)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- ¼ cup pinenuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and sprinkle it lightly with flour.
- In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add the herbs, cheese and pinenuts. Stir again. Run through the dough with your fingers to break apart any diced cheese that has stuck together.
- Combine the egg and the buttermilk in a small bowl or cup and stir until well combined.
- Combine the buttermilk and egg in a measuring cup and stir well with a fork to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk and egg. Stir just until all of the flour is incorporated..
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface that has been generously dusted with flour. Turn the dough several times to coat with flour (I like to use a bench scraper for this), then form into a round loaf. If the dough is sticky and difficult to shape, add a little extra flour to the work surface.
- Transfer the loaf to the prepared sheet pan. With a sharp serrated knife and cut an X on top of the loaf.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Cover with foil if getting too brown and bake for another 8-10 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown.
- Brush the loaf with melted butter and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Slice thick and serve with butter.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I'm 65, been baking for years and this turned into such a sticky mess I'd have to add so much flour I gave up. Wasted all t5hese fresh ingredients for a bake sale. Two hours later I got nothing for this fundraiser ATT. Wow...how much extra flour did everyone else add to achieve such great results????
Hi Deb, I'm so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I'm wondering if there could have been a mismeasurement at some point. I've never had anyone have this issue before.
I made this yesterday for Book Club- we had read Time of the Child by Nial Williams- set in 1962 Faha, Ireland. I followed the recipe exactly using irish cheddar , rosemary( fresh) and dried thyme. It turned out perfectly!! I am not a bread baker, but one doesn't need to be for this recipe. Rave reviews!!! Thank you for a perfect recipe with easy instructions and a very helpful video!💚
Hi Lisa, Thanks for the excellent review! It's great to hear how well this bread turned out for you - we're honored that you shared a Café recipe with your Book Club. Thank you for letting us know that it was a hit!
Thank you for another stellar recipe! I've made Irish soda bread in the past and didn't care for it. Something told me this one would be different and was it ever! Everyone at our dinner loved it! And...it was so easy.
Thank you for the great review, Sandy! So glad to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe - thanks for taking the time to let us know!
I made your Cheddar Herb Irish soda bread yesterday for company (for an early pre-St. Patrick’s Day dinner). It was delicious, loved by all and turned out beautifully! It came together so easily and was perfectly baked at 20 minutes with a very nice rise. I used fresh chopped thyme, a smaller amount of fresh rosemary and caraway seeds, and small chopped cubes of Irish Vintage cheddar. This is definitely a keeper recipe!! I’ve used many of your recipes, and always with great success, so appreciate you sharing!
Hi Doree, Thank you for the excellent review and for sharing your experience making this soda bread! It's lovely to hear how much you enjoy this and other Café recipes. We so appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
How is it best stored? For how long?
Hi Jade, I store it in a ziplock bag for a day or two. If it's going to be longer, I freeze it. I like to slice it before freezing so I can just pull out a few slices.
Wish to make this bread for my son-in-law. However, I would substitute the flour to make it gluten-free. Any suggestions? PS. Love your recipes!
Hi Lana, I haven't personally tested this recipe with GF flour, however, I think it will work. Breads with yeast are much more difficult to convert to gluten-free. I think using an all purpose gluten free flour should work well for this soda bread. You may have to add just a bit more liquid as GF flour tends to be more absorbent.
May I assume 250g for the flour and about 114g for the cheese? (Someone stole your metric button from this recipe.)
Haha! Yes, you are correct, John and I have added the metric conversion - ENJOY!
Thanks, Lynn! I was going to bring a Guinness Brown Bread to a St. Patrick's dinner when I learned that the hostess is nothing short of revolted by that flavor (no accounting for taste.) This bread (which I made to "sample" - and shared none of with anyone else) is going to save the day! Thank you once again, Chris!
Haha, I love it, John, and a "top of the day" to you!
This recipe doesnt have the metric option. Should I just follow the same metric amount that you have for other recipes, for the flour?
Hi Jade, thanks for pointing that out- I have added the metric conversion information!
I've made this two days in a row! First day with sharp cheddar garlic, dill, and sage. Today I did garlic roasted pecans, sharp cheddar, dill and sage. Both times it turned out amazing, my family eats it all in one night. Thank you so much for this recipe!
That's great, Lindsey! Thank you for the review!
I made this bread today with cheddar, rosemary and chives...SO SO GOOD. My husband loved it, too. Truly my favortie Irish soda bread ever.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it, Ellen!
Made this bread this evening, as recipe is written. I used fresh chives and rosemary as that is what I had on hand. I also added sharp cheddar cheese (cubed) and pine nuts. It turned out beautifully - Very impressive presentation and delicious flavor. The texture was perfectly moist. It truly was a beautiful and delicious round of artisan bread. Thank you for sharing the recipe and the great detailed instructions. If I could give it 10 stars, I would. ❤️
Awesome! Thank you for your review, Lori!
Excellent as usual! My dough was pretty wet. I did sprinkle a bit of flour on top, as well as the generous amount on the board. Rather than work more in with my blades after I folded it a little, I just added the amount above and then shaped it and moved it to the pan. My hands were messy, but the payoff was super tender soda bread. I just used sharp cheddar, but next time I'll add a little Parmesan.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Marian!
Wonderful addition to our St. Paddy's meal! Something different, easy and loved by all! Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathy!
Do you think basil, rosemary and dill would work together?
I think it would be great, Judy!
Hi Chris.
I have fresh basil, rosemary and dill..do you think that would be a good combination or not so much.
This was excellent and so easy. I didn't have fresh herbs or pine nuts so I used about 3/4 tsp italian seasoning and slivered toasted almonds. I had to cook it about 8 minutes longer to get it to 190° but no problem-still made it under an hour. I will make this frequently because so delicious and so easy. Also, it tasted really good with honey on the warm buttered slices. Thanks for the recipe
Thanks for letting us know, Brenda!
Super straightforward and delicious recipe! Made this with my toddler helping whisk and mix. We only had dried herbs so used about one teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a sprinkle of garlic powder in the dry ingredients. We also added about a 1/4c of parmesan grated and used pepitas (no pine nuts on hand!). Lastly, since we didn't have buttermilk, I used 1 cup whole milk and added a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar as a substitute. I was not sure if all these substitutions would work out, but I am glad we tried as it was delicious!! Thanks for the great recipe and detailed post to give me the confidence to try making a soda bread for the first time!
That's great, Jill! Thanks for letting us know!
I made this bread and loved it. We had Guinness beef stew on St Patrick's Day and had the bread with it.....yum yum. I will definitely make it again, experimenting with different herbs. Thanks for a eonderful recipe.
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Linda!
Can you ise self rising floir onstead of AP?
Hi Linda, sorry, no - not for this recipe. The leavening would not be correct.
I've made this a few times now and I love it! I like to use a fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley mix. As a poor grad student, I skip the pine nuts but it's still delicious. It's so convenient to make since it comes together so quickly and I usually have the ingredients on hand. For a quick dinner, I pair it with Trader Joe's tomato and roasted pepper soup since it has a classy-grilled-cheese vibe.
Thanks for sharing your results, Emily! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Soooo good. I make this bread about once a week! I’ve successfully used rosemary and basil alone and in combination and definitely used the diced cheese method. Those little cheesy holes ? Wow!!!
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your results, Susan!
I tried this recipe and it tasted great! I did have one problem though, for some reason it was still a little doughy in the middle. Any idea why it's coming out a little underdone? Other than that 5/5 stars!
Hi Deena, so happy you enjoyed this bread! Regarding the doughiness, you probably just need to bake it a little longer as every oven is a little different.
If you wanted to determine if the bread is done, you could use an instant thermometer. The temp should read 190˚F when it's done.
This sounds wonderful. We have to be on a low sodium diet, though. Would a baking soda substitute work in place of regular baking soda? And would it hurt it to lower the amount of salt in it also? This would make it a little better for us with less sodium that way.
Thanks, Can't wait to try this.
Hi Kay, I'm afraid I'm not a good one to ask about baking soda substitutes as I've never used one nor have I ever made soda bread without it. I'm sure you could lower the amount of salt though with good results.
Hi! Usually when baking with buttermilk I “make my own” with vinegar and regular milk. This time though I have a TON of 2% I’d like to use (I usually use whole). Do you think that will effect it too much?
Hi Brooke, although I also prefer whole milk, 2% will work fine.
Fantastic! I used a mix of extra sharp cheddar and regular and herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives) and it came out great. Thanks.
Thanks, ALexandra!
I made this today and added 2 cloves of garlic and finely shredded parmesan cheese with the cheddar cheese.
Thanks for sharing, Mailyn!
My bread turned out perfect! Thank you for the recipe, it was spot on!
Yay! Thank you, Elisa! 💕
Awesome!!! Took half a loaf to our Irish neighbour - she had never heard of putting cheese in Soda Bread but was smitten after one bite. Love getting your recipes.
So fun, Patti! I love that you introduced her to something new!
I adapted this recipe to make a pesto, garlic, chevre loaf. (I cooked mine for close to 40 minutes total to make up for the wetter cheese. ) Thanks for the recipe!
Yum! Sound delish! Thanks for sharing your adaptation, Tarah!
Made the bread for Easter and it baked up perfectly and paired really well with the ham. Nice to have an easy dinner bread recipe when you need it!
Thanks for taking the time to share your results, Jen! Your dinner sounds wonderful!
This was really good. I served it with a Carrot Ginger Soup. It almost was more similar to a focaccia bread in taste with the fresh herbs and cheese. It was very moist and tender with a nice crispy crust. My young teen ate about half of it himself. I would probably double recipe next time I make this to have some leftovers. I can imagine it would be good toasted the next day. Thanks for another good recipe!
Thanks so much, Amy! Carrot Ginger Soup sounds like a wonderful pairing!
Thanks for this simple recipe that doesn’t require yeast.
Is the dough supposed to be very wet? I’ve added, while shaping the dough, almost 1 cup & it’s still wet & difficult to shape. The recipe calls for 2 cups, is this correct? and 1 cup buttermilk? I assume there was no missing instructions since I see the same instructions in steps 3&4 for the egg/buttermilk?
Quick/Soda Bread recipes are all (I believe) very wet doughs. You shouldn't really work it as you would a traditional yeast bread, because the reaction that gives the bread its rise does not come from a living organism that takes time. Here the rise is from the baking soda and powder and the acid from the buttermilk (think back to the volcanoes kids make from baking soda and vinegar: its the same reaction). At step 5, you want to just turn the loaf over a few times so it is coated in flour and then immediately move it to the baking surface so that this reaction can take place in the oven.
Thanks, Tarah!
Any chance dried herbs would work in a pinch like a unexpected pandemic for instance ? If so, any suggestions on a good mix?
Yes, dried herbs will work in a pinch - and this is definitely "a pinch". If you have Italian seasoning that would be wonderful as would thyme or rosemary. I would use 1-1½ teaspoons. Enjoy!
This was fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much, Shauna! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
I have a gas range and my oven doesn't go over 410⁰ , what's a good baking time adjustment? I really want to try this loaf!
Hi Nikki, just go with the 410˚F. It will take a little longer to bake. If you want to make sure the center is done, use an instant thermometer. The temp in the center should be 200-205˚F.
What kind of herbs do you use?
Hi Judy, I have used lots of different herbs in this recipe, sometimes dill, sometimes thyme, taragon or rosemary, sometimes a combination. Use what you like or have available, either all one herb or a mix.
super easy, moist and delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
Yay! Thanks so much, Cecilia! So happy you enjoyed it!
Chris-Please bring back a recipe for the Irish Brown Bread. Sounds wonderful!!
When time is short, I will often make a soda bread to go along with stews and soup, so I can't wait to try this cheese and herb version! Hope you are having a wonderful trip 🙂
We are Jennifer! So much to see and do and the weather has been wonderful!
I could eat my weight in this gorgeous soda bread Chris! Such a great take on a delicious treat. Yes indeed, the Irish are very talented bread makers 🙂 Enjoy!!!
P.S. Enjoy your holiday!
Mmmmmm....you make me want to head right back to Ireland and enjoy their fabulous soda bread. A different version in every pub! Yours looks perfect for dinner tonight!
Looks so yum! Will it freeze well?
Hi Helen, soda bread doesn't freeze that well but it's super easy and quick to make fresh. I have found that if I freeze it, it isn't that great to serve with soup or salad (it tends to get dried out) but it's wonderful for grilled sandwiches.
Mmmm, it would be fabulous slathered with Kerrygold butter!
I've been making and enjoying soda bread ever since I visited Ireland in 1972 and got the recipe from a family friend who served it at her tourist-lodging home, a precursor to the bed and breakfast lodging option. Soda bread is very adaptable and this recipe will be delicious with addition of cheese and herbs; I especially like the Irish white cheddar cheese and their fantastic butter with this bread. Leftovers are never a problem!
I'm so glad you tried it Helen! Scott and I are thoroughly enjoying all the different Irish breads over here, and yes, leftovers don't last long!