Recipes > Irish Soda Bread | Egg & Dairy-Free
- Serves: 1 loaf
- Active Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Views: 25,056
- Success Rating: 40% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Making & Baking the Bread
- 11.25 oz whole-wheat flour (approx. 2 1/2 cups)
- 2.25 oz all-purpose flour (approx. 1/2 cup)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 tbsp wheat germ
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp flax meal
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp lemon juice*
Method
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Coat a 9″ × 5″ -inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper. If you have a non-stick loaf pan, simply coat it with non-stick spray.
To start the bread, add the lemon juice to the non-diary milk and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. *Note: White vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used instead of lemon juice. Basically you are just looking to curdle or turn the milk sour—creating a buttermilk-like liquid.
Add the flax meal to a medium-sized bowl and add the water. Set aside.
Next, in a large bowl, measure and mix together the dry ingredients. Break up the brown sugar with your hands and sift in the baking soda and baking powder just to make sure there are no lumps. Stir to evenly combine.
Next, whisk the flax eggs together and then add the non-diary/lemon mixture (a.k.a. the “buttermilk”) to the flax. Mix to combine.
At this point, form a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients over top. Stir gently but quickly – just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Don’t over-mix as you do not want to develop too much gluten.
Pour or spoon the mix into the prepared loaf pan and place into the oven. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The top should also be a nice, even golden color.
Step 2: Cooling & Serving the Bread
Method
Once done, transfer to a cooling rack. Let the soda bread sit for about 5 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan. Let cool before serving.
Serve with non-diary butter, jam or just plain. The bread goes well with both sweet and savory dishes.
12 Comments
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Made it and love it! Trying to avoid sugar - taste aside, will the bread come out the same if I omit the sugar? -
Hi Karin - Thanks for your inquiry - so ironically, the addition of sugar is technically not a traditional way to make Irish Soda Bread - but I sure love a little sugar in mine - because I have a sweet tooth! That said, we sometimes leave the sugar out at home - but make up for with some wonderful preserves, marmalade or jam spread! Without the sugar you will notice a slightly more savory bread - I look forward to hearing your thoughts once you try this approach! Thanks for learning with Rouxbe! Chef Kirk -
Hi there! How crucial is wheat germ to this recipe? What function does it serve? Wondering if I can make this without it. -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Karlie, Thanks for asking about this. Besides being a great source of vitamin E, fiber, and other nutrients, wheat germ lends a nutty flavor and nice texture to this recipe. If you would rather not use it, you can substitute equal measures of either flax meal or oat bran. -
can you please explain why both baking soda and baking powder are used? -
What does the flax add please?
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Rouxbe Staff
Gaye, the flax will add some vitamins and minerals, fiber, and some texture to the dough. -
please explain why baking soda and baking powder
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Rouxbe Staff
Gaye, often both baking soda and baking powder are used when the ingredients are especially dense or heavy, such as the whole wheat flour and steel-cut oats, here, as a little extra "oomph" is provided for leavening. The baking soda and the first stage of the baking powder react immediately upon mixing the wet and dry ingredients. The second stage of the baking powder is activated by the heat of the oven for additional leavening.
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I just made this for the first time. Even though I forgot to add the oatmeal (whoops), it was still quite tasty with some vegan butter spread. -
Thank you. Fantastic instructions and recipe, it turned out great! I tried making soda bread a long time ago and it was inedible. Now I realize it was a flop before this because I mixed it too much producing additional gluten and baking it at 350 made it hard like a brick. Using this guide was an Aha moment. -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Kate: We love the sound of the "ah-ha" moment! Glad that this recipe worked out so well for you! Thanks for sharing! Cheers, Char
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