This week's work ·
Irish soda bread, a hot oven, and the loaf that needs no waiting
A crusty, craggy soda bread made with buttermilk and a cross cut in the top — the loaf that goes from bowl to oven in ten minutes and fills the house with the smell of baking.
Soda bread is the loaf for people who want bread without the waiting. No yeast, no proofing, no overnight rise — just flour, buttermilk, a little leavening, and a hot oven. We mixed the dough in a bowl, turned it out onto a floured counter, and shaped it into a rough round with a cross cut deep into the top.
The cross isn't decoration — it's how the loaf opens up in the oven, letting the middle bake through. Forty minutes later we pulled out a craggy, golden loaf with a crust that cracked when we cut it, and the inside was tender and faintly tangy from the buttermilk.
We ate it warm with butter and a spoonful of honey, and then again the next morning, toasted, with a fried egg. It's the kind of bread that doesn't ask for much and gives back everything.
The lesson was about the bread that skips the waiting. Soda bread is the proof that a great loaf doesn't need a sourdough starter or a proofing basket — sometimes it just needs buttermilk, a hot oven, and a cross cut in the top.
A great loaf doesn't need a sourdough starter — sometimes it just needs buttermilk, a hot oven, and a cross cut in the top.
02 · The recipe
Irish Soda Bread
A crusty, craggy soda bread made with buttermilk and a cross cut in the top — from bowl to oven in ten minutes, with no yeast and no waiting.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Yield
- One 9-inch loaf
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the counter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Perishable
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
Useful equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and honey. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead gently a few times, just until it comes together — don't overwork it. Shape into a round about 8 inches across.
- Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut a deep cross into the top with a sharp knife, then brush the top with the melted butter and scatter with flaky salt.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until deep golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes before cutting — the crumb needs the rest.
03 · Linked objects
The things worth mentioning.
King Arthur 100% Organic All-Purpose Flour
Three and a half cups of flour is the whole loaf — this is the one flour that never lets you down.
Why we loved it: The gold standard for home bakers — consistent protein, no bleaching, and a crumb that behaves itself every single time. When the flour is this dependable, the baking gets to be the fun part.
Worth knowing: Costs a little more than store-brand flour, but the consistency is worth it for baking.
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Bob's Red Mill Baking Soda
One teaspoon supplies the bread's lift; this baking soda is a dependable pantry staple for the job.
Why we loved it: It's the plain, dependable kind — no additives, no aftertaste, and it does exactly what baking soda should do alongside the buttermilk.
Worth knowing: It's a big box, but baking soda keeps for a long time and you'll use it in pancakes all year.
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Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
A little salt is what makes the buttermilk taste more like itself — this is the selected option.
Why we loved it: The crystals are light and grabby, so you can season by feel as the dough comes together. It's the salt selected for everyday use.
Worth knowing: It's a bigger box than you need at first, but it keeps forever and you'll use it daily.
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SACO Cultured Buttermilk Blend
The recipe uses a cup and a half. This way you always have buttermilk on hand for the next loaf.
Why we loved it: We love a cultured buttermilk blend that keeps the real thing's tang in a dry, useful form: one scoop plus water, and biscuits, pancakes, or soda bread are back on the table.
Worth knowing: Powder is a slightly different texture than fresh, but in a quick bread you won't notice the difference.
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Fischer's Raw Unfiltered Honey
A spoonful in the dough and a pour on the plate — this is the honey that makes the loaf feel like a bakery's.
Why we loved it: It's thick, unfiltered, and tastes like the flowers it came from. In the dough it rounds out the buttermilk's tang, and on the warm slice it sinks in just enough to leave a sticky, fragrant top.
Worth knowing: Raw honey crystallizes over time — warm the jar gently and it flows again.
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Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Finishing salt on the crust is what makes the bread taste crisp and clean — this is the one everyone reaches for.
Why we loved it: The pyramid flakes are the whole point — a clean mineral taste, a light crunch, and they dissolve fast on hot food. A scatter over the top is plenty.
Worth knowing: It's pricier than table salt, but you use a pinch at a time and it keeps for years.
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WÜSTHOF Classic 3-Piece Prep Knife Set
It retired the six-blade block it replaced. The one set of knives that genuinely belongs on the counter.
Why we loved it: We love the clean division of labor: the chef's knife handles the main cuts, the paring knife takes detail, and the utility knife bridges the middle. Three blades give a compact kitchen a proper prep rhythm.
Worth knowing: It costs more than a set knife and every blade needs hand washing and regular honing. Skip it if you'd rather replace cheap blades than care for good ones.
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ZWILLING Prep 3-Piece Brushed Stainless Steel Nesting Bowls Set
The wide bowl gives the dry mix and buttermilk room to come into a shaggy dough.
Why we loved it: We love bowls that stay put on the counter, rims that pour cleanly, and a brushed stainless finish that hides routine scratches. They nest neatly, replacing a whole stack of stained plastic without making the cupboard feel crowded.
Worth knowing: Stainless is cold to the touch and not for the microwave, and the big bowl is heavy when full. Skip them if you need microwave-safe prep bowls.
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Dexter-Russell Walnut Dough Scraper, Stainless Steel
The stiff blade cuts and lifts the dough cleanly off the work surface.
Why we loved it: We love the stiff blade that cuts cleanly, the comfortable walnut handle, and a build made to last through daily bakery work.
Worth knowing: The blade needs prompt drying; hand washing keeps the handle and steel in shape.
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