This sweet Irish Fruit soda bread is a delicious tea-time treat. It's very easy to make and uses just a few simple ingredients. With a golden brown crust and a soft, sweet bread filled with juicy sultanas, this soda bread is a long-standing family favourite.
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Also known as Spotted Dog, this sweet version of Irish soda bread, made with sultanas, has been a tea-time treat in my family for years. Growing up in Ireland, this is something that we all just loved to see coming out of the oven!
Traditionally served warm, slathered in rich Irish butter, and served with a big mug of tea! This soda bread uses just a few simple ingredients and can be on the table in under an hour. If you'd like to try a traditional non-sweet soda bread, then try my Irish Soda Bread.
🛒 Ingredients Needed
***Full recipe with instructions and ingredient list in the recipe card below***
📝 Ingredient Notes:
- Bicarbonate of Soda - It's important to check your bicarb of soda before you make this, as that helps with the rise of the bread. To check your bicarb of soda is still in date, pour three tablespoons of white vinegar into a bowl or cup, then stir in ½ teaspoon of baking soda. If the liquid fizzes, then the bicarb of soda is still good. If it doesn't fizz, it’s time to buy some new bicarb of soda.
- Buttermilk - You can buy buttermilk in most large supermarkets now; it should be in the fresh dairy section. Most good farm shops should also stock some. If you can't find any, then you can make it yourself by adding lemon juice to milk. For this recipe, add 1 and a ¼ teasponns of lemon juice to 350ml of milk, stir well, then leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Sultanas - I always use sultanas for this bread, but you can also use currants. For my readers in the USA, use golden raisins.
👩🍳 Baking Tips
- Don't overwork the dough! Use your hand in a claw shape to mix the dough, but don't be tempted to knead the dough or handle it too much, as this will result in a tough texture. This soda bread should be light and soft, but not too crumbly!
- Flour the baking sheet well before placing the dough on it; this will prevent the bread from sticking to the tray.
- For plump, juicy sultanas, I soak the sultanas in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes before adding them to the flour mixture.
- Don't forget to cut a cross in the bread to let the faeries out!
- If you prefer a softer crust for your soda bread, then wrap the bread in a clean, damp tea towel when it comes out of the oven. The steam will soften the crust.
Traditional Fruit Soda Bread
Traditional Sweet Irish Soda Bread Recipe
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Servings: 10 slices ( 1 loaf)
Calories: 247kcal
Ingredients
- 120 g (¾ of a cup) sultanas (golden raisins) Soak the sultanas in hot water for 10-15 minutes, then drain. This is optional, but I recommend it if you have time.
- 450 g (1lb or 3¾ cups) of plain flour (all-purpose flour) + extra for the baking sheet.
- 45 g (just over ¼ of a cup) of granulated sugar
- 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 level tsp salt
- 350 ml (1½ cups) of buttermilk
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- If you are soaking the sultanas, do that now.Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F)Sift the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and sugar into a large bowl.Then stir in the sultanas.
- Next, pour the buttermilk into a jug, add the egg to the buttermilk and whisk together.Make a well in the flour mixture, then pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture.
- Using one hand, in a claw-like shape, mix the flour in a circle, bringing in the flour from the edges of the bowl. The dough should come together quite quickly.The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour.
- Wash and dry your hands, then lightly flour a wooden board or work surface.Tip the dough out of the mixing bowl and place it on the board. Add a little flour to your hands. Work the bread very briefly until it comes together more.Now shape the dough into a round and pat it down slightly to about 5cm (2inches) in height.Using a sharp knife, cut a cross in the dough.Place the bread on a floured baking sheet and place it on the middle shelf of the oven.Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180°C (350°F) and bake for another 35 minutes.To check that your soda bread is done, remove it from the oven, carefully turn it upside down in a thick tea towel and give the base a knock. If it sounds hollow, it's done.
Notes
- Don't overwork the dough; it just needs to be brought together quickly, then shaped into a round. I don't use a rolling pin for this, just the palm of my hand. The more you work the dough, the tougher your bread will be.
- Test your bicarb of soda is still good - it's hard to tell if your bicarb of soda is still good. It can lose its potency, and if this happens, you won't get good results when making this bread. So if you're not sure, test it first! Add a teaspoon of bicarb of soda to a bowl, and add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. If the mixture fizzes up straight away, it's still good. If you don't get much fizz at all, bin it, or use it for cleaning!
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standards. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand. For accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients using a digital scale if possible, for the best results.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate. It is based on one slice of soda bread and does not include butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 86IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
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Sarah
This is delicious toasted with lashings of butter ! My husband, who doesn't generally like raisins, still loved this ! Soaking the raisins beforehand makes them really juicy and probably stops them sinking as they're wet when added to the flour which then coats them.
The first time I made it, exactly as the recipe, the dough was very wet - totally unmouldable - so I had to add a lot of extra flour. The second time, I reduced the milk to 300ml and it was still pretty wet, so again added more flour. Next time, I'll add liquid gradually and see...!
I found it kept pretty well for soda bread, for a couple of days, wrapped in baking paper in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe.
Annette Chambers
Looks delicious