Mary Berry Soda Bread Recipe

Mary Berry's soda bread needs no yeast and no kneading — just mix, shape, and bake for a crusty, tender loaf ready in under an hour.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Cooling Time 20

Total Time 1 5

Servings: 8 Slices

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: British

Calories: 195

450 g plain flour or 300g plain and 150g wholemeal
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp caster sugar optional
400 ml buttermilk or 400ml whole milk with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, left 5 minutes to curdle

Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / Gas 7. Lightly flour a baking tray.
Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar if using. Stir briefly.
Make a well in the centre. Pour in almost all the buttermilk. Mix quickly with a fork or hands until a soft, slightly sticky dough just comes together. Add remaining buttermilk only if needed — dough should be soft but not wet.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, shape quickly and gently into a round about 20cm across. Do not knead.
Place on the baking tray. Cut a deep cross into the top — three-quarters of the way through. Dust lightly with flour.
Bake at 220°C for 15 minutes. Reduce to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6 and bake a further 20–25 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped on the base.
Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Work quickly once the buttermilk goes in — the reaction begins immediately.

Handle the dough as little as possible — overworking makes dense, tough bread.

Make your own buttermilk with milk and vinegar if you do not have any.

Cut the cross deep — three-quarters of the way through — for even baking.

Test with the hollow tap on the base — not just appearance.

Best eaten on the day it is made. Slices freeze very well for up to 3 months.