Orange Raisin Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require yeast. Instead, baking soda and buttermilk work as the leavening agents in this recipe. This bread is dense yet has a soft interior and an incredibly crusty exterior!
Making Orange Raisin Soda Bread is easy and quick to make. It is delicious, with each bite full of raisins and fresh orange flavor! This bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
What is Soda Bread?
Soda bread is a quick bread in which baking soda is used instead of traditional yeast. The other essential ingredient is buttermilk, which reacts with baking soda to form tiny carbon dioxide bubbles. This bread is easy and quick compared to traditional yeast bread. Traditionally, soda bread is made with flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. However, we can add other ingredients such as butter, dried fruits, or nuts.
About Orange Raisin Soda Bread
When I baked the soda bread for the first time, I was excited and nervous because I was worried about the texture of the bread without yeast. And to my disappointment, the bread was crumbly, slightly raw, and poorly tasted. But I did not give up and tried again with a few changes, only to find success.
So once I was confident about the basic soda bread, I decided to add raisins and flavors. That is why the Orange Raisin Soda Bread recipe became one of my favorite bread recipes.
Soda bread is dense with tight crumbs compared to traditional yeast bread, but it has a soft interior and tastes amazingly delicious.
The bread stays for up to four days at room temperature. You can serve the bread slices warm or at room temperature with your favorite spread or butter. It also tastes delicious after lightly toasting it and spreading butter, jam, or cream cheese.
Why You Will Love This Bread
- It is an easy and quick bread recipe with a few ingredients.
- Orange Raisin Soda Bread does not require yeast.
- The bread has an incredibly crusty exterior with a soft interior.
- This bread is full of raisins and fresh orange flavor.
- It is a no-knead bread, and anybody can bake it.
- It is a quick bread that is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or snacks.
- The bread is eggless and vegetarian.
Ingredients and Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: I used unbleached all-purpose flour to make this bread. Do not replace the all-purpose flour with bread flour. However, you can replace some of the plain flour with whole wheat flour if you want.
- Baking Soda: It is an essential ingredient of the recipe. Baking soda works as a leavening agent, and after reacting with the lactic acid of buttermilk, it creates bubbles and lifts the bread.
- Salt: Salt elevates the flavors of the bread. Do not skip it, or do not add less than a teaspoon of salt.
- Sugar: I have added 3 tablespoon of light brown sugar, but you can add white granulated or brown sugar. You can also add a little less or more sugar to your taste.
- Butter: For the recipe, use unsalted and cold butter. Cut the butter into small cubes and mix in the flour with a pastry cutter or clean fingers.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is essential for this bread recipe. It makes the bread soft and activates the baking soda. I have used store-bought buttermilk, but if you do not have it, make your own. To make the buttermilk substitute, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into 1½ cups of milk, stir, and let it stand for five minutes.
- Orange Juice: Juice provides a fresh citrus flavor to the bread, which goes wonderfully with raisins. However, if you do not want to add orange juice, replace it with buttermilk.
- Orange Zest: It adds flavor and freshness to the bread. If you prefer not to use orange flavor, skip the orange juice and zest.
- Raisins: I have added a cup of raisins, but add more or less to your preference. You can add dried cranberries instead of raisins if you want.
How To Make Orange Raisin Soda Bread
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
- I have used light brown sugar, but you can use white granulated sugar.
- Add butter cubes and mix using a pastry cutter or with your clean fingers until the butter is pea-sized crumbs.
- Add raisins and mix well.
- Pour in the buttermilk and orange juice and mix gently until everything is combined.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
- With floured hands, gently shape the dough into a large round, about 8 to 10 inches across.
- The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. If it is hard to shape into a ball, add a little more flour.
- Transfer the dough ball onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Use a sharp knife to score X on top of the loaf.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and the center appears cooked through for about 45-55 minutes.
- If your bread is browning too quickly on the top, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil.
- Remove the loaf from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack.
How To Serve and Store Orange Raisin Soda Bread
- Serve the bread warm, at room temperature, or lightly toasted with your favorite spread.
- Orange Raisin Soda Bread, tightly covered, will stay at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- You can also wrap it in aluminum foil and refrigerate it for up to a week.
Helpful Tips
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient in the bread’s flavor, texture, and rise. For the best result, use cold buttermilk.
DIY Buttermilk: If you do not have store-bought buttermilk on hand, you can make the homemade version of the buttermilk. Add 1 tablespoon of whiter vinegar to 1½ cups of milk, stir well, and let it stand for five minutes.
Orange Juice: Use fresh orange juice for the best flavor. If you do not want to add orange juice, replace it with buttermilk. In total, you will need to add 1¾ cups of buttermilk.
Dough: Add some flour if it is too hard to shape the dough into a ball. However, the dough should be soft and slightly sticky, so do not add too much flour.
More Bread Recipes
Recipe Card
Orange Raisin Soda Bread (Eggless)
Ingredients
- 4½ cups (520g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon (40g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (150g) raisins
- 1½ cups (360ml) buttermilk
- ¼ cup (60ml) orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Add butter cubes and mix using a pastry cutter or with your clean fingers until the butter is pea-sized crumbs.
- Add raisins and mix well. Pour in the buttermilk and orange juice, and mix gently until everything is combined.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, gently shape the dough into a large round, about 8 to 10 inches across.
- The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. But if it is hard to shape the dough into a ball, add a little more flour.
- Transfer the dough ball onto a prepared baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to score X on top of the loaf.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and the center appears cooked through, about 45-55 minutes. If your bread is browning too quickly on the top, loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil.
- Remove the loaf from the oven, allow it cool for 10 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack.
- Serve the bread warm, at room temperature, or lightly toasted with your favorite spread.
Storing Suggestions
- Orange Raisin Soda Bread, tightly covered, will stay at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- You can also wrap it in aluminum foil and refrigerate it for up to a week.
Notes
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient for the bread’s flavor, texture, and rise. Use cold buttermilk if possible for the best result.
- DIY Buttermilk: If you do not have store-bought buttermilk on hand, you can make the homemade version of the buttermilk. Add 1 tablespoon of whiter vinegar to 1½ cups of milk, stir well, and let it stand for five minutes. And you can use this DIY buttermilk for the recipe.
- Orange Juice: Use fresh orange juice for the best flavor. If you do not want to add orange juice, replace it with buttermilk. So you will need to add 1¾ cups buttermilk in total.
- Dough: Add some flour if it is too hard to shape the dough into a ball. However, the dough should be soft and slightly sticky, so do not add too much flour.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
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