Cake, loaf, or springform pan, or parchment paper trimmed to fit in air fryer
Ingredients
2Cupsall purpose flour(plus more for dusting)
1Cupbuttermilk
1Tspbaking powder
1Tsp baking soda
½Cupraisins
2Tbspbrown sugar
½Tspvanilla extract
½Tspcinnamon
¾Tspsalt(or to taste)
Instructions
Combine all dry ingredients and raisins in a large mixing bowl, stirring to evenly combine
2 Cups all purpose flour, 1 Tsp baking powder, 1 Tsp baking soda, ½ Cup raisins, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, ½ Tsp cinnamon, ¾ Tsp salt
Create a well in the center, then pour in the buttermilk and vanilla
1 Cup buttermilk, ½ Tsp vanilla extract
Mix with a spoon or spatula until it creates a shaggy dough
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface
Knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes, or just until it binds together and becomes a singular loaf
Using your hands, shape the bread dough into a round or oval (depending on the shape of your air fryer) loaf. If needed, the dough may be divided into two smaller loaves
Preheat your air fryer to 320°F (or 325°F, depending on your air fryer’s available settings)
Place the loaf of bread into a greased cake pan, springform pan, loaf pan, or on a piece of parchment paper cut to fit into your air fryer basket
Pat the top of the bread down so it isn’t mounded. Then, cut an ‘X’ shape about ½” deep into the top with a sharp knife
Add your bread to the preheated air fryer basket
Cook on the air fry setting at 320°F for 30 minutes for a single loaf, or 20 minutes for two smaller loaves
Add additional cooking time in 5-minute increments as needed, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean
Cool slightly, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then top it off with regular milk to the 1 cup line. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes to make buttermilk
Raisins may be swapped for golden raisins or cranberries, or omitted if preferred. Alternatively, add 1 Tbsp orange zest for a pop of citrus
If your raisins are dried out and hard, soak them in the buttermilk for 15 minutes to soften them, then just add them in when you add the buttermilk
The brown sugar may be substituted by white granulated sugar. Feel free to add up to 2 Tbsp more if you want a sweeter loaf
For a more savory option, omit the cinnamon and vanilla and add caraway seeds instead
You do not need to flip the bread during cooking. The top will be browned and crisp, while the bottom should stay soft while being cooked through
Try not to over knead the dough, stop when it’s workable. Over kneading will result in a hard bread loaf
The dough is going to rise during cooking. This is why you want to pat the dough flat. You may need to remove extra racks (if you have multiple) in your air fryer to give the bread enough room
Traditionally, Irish soda bread is a round loaf. However, I have a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer with two smaller rectangular baskets, and have used mini loaf pans. Regardless of shape, it will still taste great!
My soda bread loaves were perfectly done after 20 minutes at 325℉ in the Ninja air fryer. Other models and sizes will of course vary slightly
The cross in the top of the bread, while originally added for religious reasons, is actually nowadays used for releasing steam during cooking
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand of ingredients, any substitutions, and total quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
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