Hi Anne, you should always bake to the color you prefer, but with quick breads, such as Irish soda bread, I would worry more about drying out the loaf. Also the ingredients like buttermilk and the dried fruits (on the outer part of the loaf) are more likely to burn when baked for a longer time, so I would be cautious about going too dark with this type of bread. In general I think of this rule applying most to artisan breads that don't contain a lot of enriched ingredients and bake at a high baking temperature. 

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