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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.
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"!
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.
- 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
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Preheat the oven to 425˚Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and sprinkle it lightly with flour.
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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.
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Combine the egg and the buttermilk in a small bowl or cup and stir until well combined.
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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..
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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.
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Transfer the loaf to the prepared sheet pan. With a sharp serrated knife and cut an X on top of the loaf.
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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.
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Brush the loaf with melted butter and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Slice thick and serve with butter.
e Café Tips above in post for more detailed instructions and tips.
Recipe adapted from Food Gracious.
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Emily says
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.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Emily! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Susan P says
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!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your results, Susan!
Deena A. says
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!
Chris Scheuer says
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.
Kay Thomerson says
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.
Chris Scheuer says
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.
Brooke says
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?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Brooke, although I also prefer whole milk, 2% will work fine.
Alexandra Salomon says
Fantastic! I used a mix of extra sharp cheddar and regular and herbs (parsley, cilantro, chives) and it came out great. Thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, ALexandra!
Mailyn says
I made this today and added 2 cloves of garlic and finely shredded parmesan cheese with the cheddar cheese.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing, Mailyn!
Elisa H says
My bread turned out perfect! Thank you for the recipe, it was spot on!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thank you, Elisa! 💕
Patti from Canada says
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.
Chris Scheuer says
So fun, Patti! I love that you introduced her to something new!
Tarah says
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!
Chris Scheuer says
Yum! Sound delish! Thanks for sharing your adaptation, Tarah!
Jen says
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!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for taking the time to share your results, Jen! Your dinner sounds wonderful!
Amy says
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!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Amy! Carrot Ginger Soup sounds like a wonderful pairing!
Myrna says
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?
Tarah N Gustafson says
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.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Tarah!
Jen says
Any chance dried herbs would work in a pinch like a unexpected pandemic for instance ? If so, any suggestions on a good mix?
Chris Scheuer says
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!
Shauna says
This was fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Shauna! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Nikki says
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!
Chris Scheuer says
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.
Judy says
What kind of herbs do you use?
Chris Scheuer says
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.
cecilia says
super easy, moist and delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much, Cecilia! So happy you enjoyed it!
Susan Blau says
Chris-Please bring back a recipe for the Irish Brown Bread. Sounds wonderful!!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
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 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
We are Jennifer! So much to see and do and the weather has been wonderful!
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert says
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!!!
Liz says
P.S. Enjoy your holiday!
Liz says
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!
Helen says
Looks so yum! Will it freeze well?
Chris Scheuer says
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.
Vicki G says
Mmmm, it would be fabulous slathered with Kerrygold butter!
Helen says
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!
Chris Scheuer says
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!