Irish Soda Bread with Cherries: Soft, Tender, and Slightly Sweet — Only 6 Ingredients
Dutch oven Irish soda bread with dried cherries is a quick, approachable loaf that yields a soft, tender crumb and a touch of sweetness. With just six ingredients, it’s easy to mix up in minutes and bake for a satisfying homemade bread any day of the week.
The cherries complement the simple, rustic flavor of soda bread without overpowering it. This is a basic soda bread base, so you can easily adapt it by swapping in other dried fruits, seeds, or flavorings to make it your own.
I first made soda bread with raisins as a surprise for my 92-year-old Irish mother-in-law and was struck by how fast it came together. She’s shared family recipes with me over the years — small treasures passed down through generations — and this loaf is another great example of a humble recipe with lots of heart.
The History of Soda Bread
Soda bread’s origins reflect practical cooking traditions. Long before commercial baking soda, some Native American communities used alkaline ashes (pearl ash) to leaven quick breads. After baking soda became widely available, similar quick breads appeared in Ireland around the 1830s. Because soda bread requires few ingredients and no oven was necessary historically, it became a staple during difficult times.
Traditional Soda Bread Ingredients
Classic soda bread uses four core ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and sour milk (buttermilk). The lactic acid in the buttermilk reacts with baking soda to produce lift, so no yeast is required. This simple chemistry is what gives soda bread its quick rise and tender texture.
Why is there a cross on top?
One common tradition is to cut a cross on the top of soda bread. Partly practical, partly superstitious, the mark was believed to protect the home and ward off evil. While scoring is essential for some yeasted breads to control expansion, the cross on soda bread is largely symbolic.
I experimented by baking this cherry loaf in a Dutch oven. After removing the lid briefly near the end of baking to brown the crust, I returned the lid to finish baking — the result was nicely browned with a tender interior.
Tips for the perfect soda bread
- Use an instant-read thermometer: the internal temperature should reach 210°F (about 99°C) when the loaf is done.
- Enjoy soda bread the day you bake it for best texture. If you need to store it, freeze what you won’t eat within a couple of days. Wrap in plastic or a zip-top bag and then in foil; label and date before freezing.
- Add dried cherries (or other mix-ins) while combining the dough—this dough is relatively stiff, and folding them in early ensures even distribution.
- Leftover slices make excellent French toast or bread pudding.
We love baking bread! You can find more bread recipes in the recipe collection on the site.
You may need
- Instant-read thermometer — handy for checking doneness.
- 5-quart Dutch oven — ideal for baking this loaf to get a good rise and crust.
More recipes you may like
- Easy Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
- Hot Cross Buns — Easter bread
- Potato Rolls — easy homemade rolls
- Country Captain Chicken
- Cherry Quick Bread — baked from scratch
- Waterford Blaa — Irish bread rolls
- Molasses Brown Bread Rolls
Don’t forget to stop back and let me know how your Dutch oven Irish soda bread turned out.
Dutch Oven Irish Soda Bread with Cherries
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups dried cherries
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a piece of parchment paper for shaping the loaf.
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Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.
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Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is incorporated; knead a few times by hand if needed.
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Add the dried cherries and knead briefly to distribute them evenly. Form the dough into a ball.
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Turn the dough out onto the parchment and shape it into a 2″ thick round. Cut a 1-inch cross into the top with a sharp knife.
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Using the parchment, lift the loaf into a 5-qt Dutch oven. Cover and bake until the internal temperature reaches 210°F, up to about 55 minutes. If the crust browns too quickly, tent with foil.
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Cool the bread on a wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing. Store wrapped airtight.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Protein: 5 g
Sodium: 257 mg
Fiber: 3 g
Sugar: 6 g
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional data are estimates based on the specific brands and measurements used. If you follow a strict diet, note that substitutions or changes will alter the nutrition information.
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