An Irish-inspired Soda Bread recipe for a quieter St. Patrick’s Day

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, we’re all looking for a chance to celebrate—even if we might still be celebrating at home with our close family and friends.

In an effort to make the best of it, 225 recipe writer Tracey Koch decided to celebrate this holiday by making a truly authentic Irish meal. On the menu: Slow Cooker Irish Stew and Guinness Stout Brownies. And to sop up all the goodness in that stew, we’re putting our quarantine bread-making skills to the test with a recipe for Soda Bread.

Soda breads have been a staple in parts of northern Europe since the 1830s, when sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) was first introduced. It replaced the need for using yeast as a leavening agent in this type of bread, reacting with the acid in the buttermilk and creating bubbles that allow the bread to rise as it bakes. A traditional soda bread is dense and moist with an extremely hard crusty outside, making it hearty and filling. We experimented with several different recipes to create our own version.

Find the full recipe here, along with the rest of our St. Patrick’s Day feast.