Warm, melty cheddar cheese paired with the tanginess of fresh chives and sourdough starter – Irish soda bread just got a savory upgrade! This Cheddar and Chive Savory Sourdough Irish Soda Bread recipe is baked to perfection with a golden crust and a tender crumb. Luckily, you won’t have to wait long before you can enjoy a slice slathered with creamy Irish butter because this is a quick, easy recipe with no waiting time.
When I was in high school, I had the incredible opportunity to explore part of my Irish heritage by traveling to Ireland on a choir trip. I’ve never done one of those genetic tests to see how “Irish” I am, but with my strawberry-blonde hair, I like to pretend that it is a great amount.
While exploring Dublin and neighboring cities, I was so enthralled with all of the rolling hills and open land – it was all so lush and bright green! Think of the scene in “P.S. I Love You” when Holly gets lost and Gerry’s taking her the long way home – like that! Simply breathtaking.
Better than the sights was the food! Now it’s been 10 years since I first went and I feel like my high school self didn’t appreciate every bite as I believe I would now, but I still can remember loving the meals of rich comfort food like Irish Stew, cottage pie, and black sausages. Flavorful, hardy, and full of tradition.
With St. Patty’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to pay tribute to my Irish roots while infusing a new part of my household heritage – sourdough. The ribbons of cheddar cheese and specks of chive give a bit of Irish tradition mixed with tangy sourdough and are absolutely delectable slathered with salty butter.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Easy Recipe
This Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Recipe is a no-wait, quick bread recipe. From start to finish, soda bread can be made within an hour. It’s the perfect hearty bread to whip up in a pitch!
Simple Ingredients
A true soda bread recipe is traditionally made with only 4 simple ingredients – flour, baking soda, buttermilk, and salt. Now with the help of shredded cheddar, fresh chives, and garlic, this quick loaf is bursting with savory highlights.
Sourdough Tang
The tang of the sourdough discard brings a unique flavor to this classic recipe, which makes this an easy and delicious way to use leftover sourdough starter without the fermentation process.
Supplies you may need:
Cheese Grater
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Ingredients:
Flour: Traditional Irish soda bread is made using soft wheat flour which is grown locally, but this recipe calls for bread flour. Bread flour helps to get a beautiful rise, but if you don’t have bread flour on hand, white flour or all-purpose flour will be just fine.
Sugar: Sourdough Irish bread is slightly sweetened with white sugar. Swap out the white sugar for honey for a healthier option. Mix the honey with the wet ingredients first, instead of the dry ones.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is one of the star ingredients of this recipe, as it is one of the leavening agents. When the baking soda mixes with the acidic buttermilk, it will create a reaction that helps the loaf to rise and become oh, so tender. Therefore, it is important to check the expiration date of your baking soda. If the baking soda has expired, then it may not react and your loaf may be dense.
Salt: Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s unrefined salt for some extra minerals!
Cheddar Cheese: I used shredded mild cheddar in this recipe, but shredded sharp cheddar or Dubliner are other great options for a more robust flavor.
Chives: Using fresh chives in this recipe gives the sourdough Irish soda bread a vibrant tang and pop of green color. Substitute fresh chives with two tablespoons of freeze-dried chives.
Garlic Powder
Egg: Adds moisture to the dough.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t fret! I have included a section on how to make Sourdough Irish Soda Bread without buttermilk below.
Cold Butter: It is crucial that your butter is cold/frozen. When mixed with the dry ingredients and baked, the butter melts and creates pockets of steam which also helps to make the bread rise.
Tips:
- If you don’t have a food scale, be sure to measure the flour by scooping it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. This will help you get a more accurate measurement of flour so your bread isn’t crumbly.
- Dust your hands generously with flour when you shape the dough.
- Check to see if the bread is done by tapping on the bottom. It will sound hollow when it is done baking.
- Be sure not to over-knead the dough, this can cause the crumb to be dense instead of light and tender. Mix until just incorporated.
How to make Cheddar and Chive Sourdough Irish Soda Bread:
Dry Ingredients:
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt.
Pro Tip: Measure the flour by scooping it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. This will help you get a more accurate measurement of flour.
Use a cheese grater to shred the frozen butter into little bits. Add the butter, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopping chives to the dry ingredients. Lightly mix until the butter is dusted with flour and the cheese and chives are fully incorporated.
Wet Ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sourdough starter discard, and egg.
Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Mix:
Mix the flour mixture until fully incorporated with your hands or a wooden spoon. Careful not to over-mix the dough, otherwise it might become dense.
Shape:
Generously flour your workstation and your hands.
Remove the dough from the bowl and pour it onto the floured surface. Knead a couple of times to form the dough and shape it into a round loaf.
Place the dough onto a prepared baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or on a buttered cast iron skillet.
With a floured, sharp knife, cut a deep cross onto the top of the bread. Irish tradition claims this is to bless the bread. Others say if you poke holes in the corners of the bread, that releases the fairies. Most likely, this is just the best way to ensure an evenly cooked loaf of bread, but I love a little bit of extra tradition in my baking.
Bake:
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Pro tip: Check to see if the bread is done by tapping on the bottom. It will sound hollow when it is done baking.
Remove the bread from the oven, rest it on a wire rack, and allow it to cool slightly before slicing.
How to Make Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Without Buttermilk:
If you find yourself without buttermilk, no need to run to the grocery store! Luckily there are a few workarounds with ingredients that you most likely already have in your fridge that are a great substitute for buttermilk.
- Thinned-out yogurt (greek or regular) with milk (1 to 1 ratio)
- Milk with white or apple cider vinegar (1 cup with 1 T)
- Milk with lemon juice (1 cup with 1 T)
- Keifer
Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Variations:
Traditionally, Irish Soda Bread is either baked plain or as a sweet delight with caraway seeds and raisin additions. In case you aren’t in the mood for a savory sourdough Irish soda bread, simply swap out the garlic powder, cheddar, and chives for some of these sweeter tones!
- Raisins & Caraway Seeds
- Craisins & Citrus Zest
- Raisins & Walnuts
- Honey & Caraway Seeds
- Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds
How to Serve Cheddar and Chive Sourdough Irish Soda Bread:
Cheddar and Chive Savory Sourdough Irish Soda Bread would be a lovely addition to any St. Patty’s Day celebration feast! The green and yellow colors are perfectly in theme with St. Patrick’s Day, but the flavor is what truly will make you and your guests feel lucky.
Some delicious and traditional Irish dishes that would complement this hearty loaf include
- Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Irish Stew
- Cottage Pie
- Beef and Barley Soup
But this Sourdough Irish Soda Bread isn’t just a delicious dinner side! Toast it up and spread a generous slab of creamy Irish butter and you have a scrumptious piece of toast for breakfast or a midday snack.
How to Store:
This bread is best eaten on the day it’s made, but day-old bread is delicious toasted with creamy Irish butter or eaten with a big slice of Dubliner cheese. Yum!
Store leftover Sourdough Irish Bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
If you are not going to eat up the whole loaf that day, cut it in half and wrap and freeze what you don’t need. It will keep very well for weeks in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What makes Irish Soda Bread different?
The greatest difference in Irish Soda Bread is the leavening agent used. Most breads today are made with commercial yeast in order for the dough to rise. During times of famine in Ireland, yeast was unavailable, so loaves of bread were baked with baking soda and buttermilk.
Why make Irish soda bread with Sourdough?
Making Irish Soda Bread with sourdough discard offers a lovely tanginess that can only come from sourdough. Plus, the discard used has been fermented, which adds some additional gut-health benefits.
Why is my Irish Soda Bread Dense?
The crumb of Irish Soda Bread should be light and tender and shouldn’t be dense. It is most likely that the dough was overworked while kneading.
Why is my Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Crumbly?
If your Sourdough Irish Soda Bread is crumbly, then there was too much flour added to the dough. To avoid this mistake, it is best to either measure the flour using a food scale or by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it with a knife.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Other Sourdough Recipes:
Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners
Cheddar and Chive Savory Sourdough Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Warm, melty cheddar cheese paired with fresh chives and sourdough starter – Sourdough Irish Soda Bread just got a savory upgrade! Slice warm and spread generously with creamy butter.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup Bread flour (410g)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (24g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (9g)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (5g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (9g)
- 4 Tablespoons cold butter (57g)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk (310g)
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard (142g)
- 1 egg
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the 3 1/4 cup Bread flour (410g), 2 T sugar (24g), 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g), 1 tsp garlic powder (5g), and 1 1/2 tsp salt (9g).
3. Use a cheese grater to shred 4 T of frozen butter (57g) into little bits. Add the butter, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup of chopped chives to the dry ingredients. Lightly mix until the butter is dusted with flour and the cheese and chives are fully incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1 1/4 cup buttermilk (310g), 1/2 cup sourdough discard (142g), and 1 egg.
5. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. With your hands or a wooden spoon, mix until all of the flour mixture has been fully incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix the dough!
7. Generously flour your workstation and your hands as this dough is quite wet and sticky.
8. Remove the dough from the bowl and pour it onto the floured surface. Knead a couple of times to form the dough and shape it into a round loaf.
9. Place the dough onto a prepared baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or on a buttered cast iron skillet.
10. With a floured, sharp knife, cut a deep cross onto the top of the bread.
11. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
12. Remove the bread from the oven, rest it on a wire rack, and allow it to cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- If you don’t have a food scale, be sure to measure the flour by scooping it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a knife. This will help you get a more accurate measurement of flour so your bread isn’t crumbly.
- This dough is quite wet and sticky, so be sure to dust your hands generously with flour while you shape the dough.
- Be sure not to over-knead the dough, this can cause the crumb to be dense instead of light and tender. Mix until just incorporated.
- You can also check to see if the bread is done by tapping on the bottom. It will sound hollow when it is done baking.
- Store leftover sourdough Irish bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Don't have buttermilk? Use one of these substitutions instead!
- Thinned-out yogurt (greek or regular) with milk (1 to 1 ratio)
- Milk with white or apple cider vinegar (1 cup with 1 T)
- Milk with lemon juice (1 cup with 1 T)
- Keifer
I think there’s a mistake in the recipe. It should be baking soda, not baking powder in the ingredient list. I made this last night but followed the recipe and grabbed the baking powder by accident. Flavor is phenomenal but texture is off because of that. Will remake with baking soda, but very good.
Hi Kelly! You are right, thank you so much for pointing out this typo. It has since been updated. I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the flavor. Hope you love the second batch even more!