This lemon lavender Irish soda bread recipe is anything but stodgy and traditional! It's a little daring but results in a delightful, buttery quick bread that's just sweet enough to be perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. The touch of tangy lemon and lavender boost it up to tea room level perfection - a delicious addition to your spring brunch table for Easter or Mother's Day.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Lemons
- Lavender buds (culinary grade - may omit)
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla
Tips
- If you don't have lavender, or prefer not to get it, it's fine to omit.
- This bread stores about 2 days at room temperature.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Orange may be substituted for the lemon - leave the lavender out.
- Use the largest side of the grater to grate the butter.
Related recipes
Quick breads are easy enough for every day - I think that's why they're so popular! Most of these easy breads freeze well for up to 3 months when they are well wrapped.
Cheddar Rosemary Soda Bread from Closet Cooking looks like one of those recipes I'd make often.
Equipment
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This Irish Soda bread baking dish with the Celtic knot design is gorgeous! It would be a great way to present this bread, wouldn't it?
Kaffeeklatsch
Irish Soda bread is a quick bread that's been around a long time. It's a comfortable, cozy bread that you'd expect to find in farmhouse kitchens where the stone floors were worn and pitted with use. Just about every family with even a molecule of Irish blood running through its veins has a recipe for it!
I love this recipe because it's a quick, delicious way to get bread on the table and, with the lemon and lavender in it, it's sweet and unique. It always brings a smile to the family's faces when they see it on the table!
Anything with lavender and lemon in it is necessary for Spring holidays, as far as I'm concerned!
While this is delicious for St Patrick's Day I think of it more as an Easter or Mother's Day recipe because between the lemon and the lavender the flavor is a bite of spring.
It's delicious warm with a little honey butter or orange marmalade!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Lemon-Lavender Soda Bread
Print Add to CollectionIngredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
- 1 tablespoons lavender buds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup butter, ,chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray, or butter it. Or just use parchment on a cookie sheet. This bread is super forgiving.
- Whisk flour, sugar, lemon zest/peel, lavender buds, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend.
- Grate butter into the dry ingredients.
- Mix with a fork until the butter is evenly mixed in the dry ingredients.
- Make well in center of flour mixture.
- Mix the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture.
- Stir to blend.
- Using floured hands, shape dough into ball.
- Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly.
- Cut a cross shape in top of dough.
- Sprinkle dough with sugar.
- Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Cool bread 10 minutes.
Notes
- If you don't have lavender, or prefer not to get it, it's fine to omit.
- This bread stores about 2 days at room temperature.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Orange may be substituted for the lemon - leave the lavender out.
- Use the largest side of the grater to grate the butter.
Gery
Just wondering? instead of Lavendar flowers could you use essential oil in place with a couple of drops?
Marye
I've never tried that way, Gery - I use essential oils but I've never cooked with them.
Megan
Can I add fresh mint or fresh lemon mint? If I go with the orange instead, would a chocolate cream cheese go well with it?
Marye
I think so - that sounds great. Give it a try!
Eileen Kelly
I make Irish Soda bread about 3-4 times a week, yes a week. I love this bread. The addition of the lavender is a fabulous twist.
Marye
Thanks Eileen!