How to make an Irish soda bread with just six simple ingredients

Quick Beer Bread is essentially a riff on Irish soda bread—a dish that became a staple during the Irish Famine due to its few, simple and inexpensive ingredients. 

Irish soda bread is a dense bread with a very hard, crisp crust made by a combination of flour, soured milk and baking powder. The baking powder acts as the leavening agent in place of yeast, which means there is no need to wait for the dough to rise before baking, classifying the dish as a quick bread. Today’s modern version uses beer and melted butter, which give the bread a deeper flavor and a more tender, flavorful crust. This quick bread is wonderful for dunking into a hot bowl of soup or served warm with softened butter, a bit of jam and a cup of tea. 

Quick Beer Bread

Yields 1 loaf 

 

4 tablespoons butter, melted

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

12 ounces beer

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch loaf pan with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
3. Use a wooden spoon to fold in the beer, and gently mix until the dough just comes together. Pour the dough into the buttered loaf pan. Gently press it into the pan, making sure it spreads to the edges.
4. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the dough and place it into the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. 
5. Take the bread out from the oven, allowing it to cool slightly. Remove the bread from the pan, and place it on a cooling rack. Serve the fresh, warm bread with softened butter or a big pot of Irish Potato Soup.

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This article was originally published in the March 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.