You don’t have to wait until St. Patrick’s Day to make Irish soda bread. Start now and see how quickly those delicious loaves disappear.

Soda bread is a chemically-leavened quick bread, using baking soda instead of yeast. Baking soda produces a lighter, airy crumb. Soda bread dates back to approximately 1840, when bicarbonate of soda was introduced to Ireland. It reacted better with the soft wheat grown in Ireland’s climate, and replaced yeast as the leavening agent.

While the traditional ingredients of soda bread are flour (white or brown), baking soda, salt and buttermilk, soda breads are often sweet breads. Raisins and nuts can be added—and in fact, make soda bread the delight that it is.