Course: bread, Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Supper
Cuisine: Irish
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 30 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour
Servings: 16slices
Calories: 121kcal
Author: Jacq
Vegan Irish Soda bread is a tasty rustic, no-yeast and no-knead bread that is super quick and easy. A fresh baked whole wheat loaf can be ready in just an hour. A slice or wedge of this wholesome wheaten bread is perfect for mopping up tasty soups and stews. Our traditional soda bread recipe is prepared with whole-wheat or wholemeal flour, is a no-oil and no-sugar soda bread, and uses just 5 simple ingredients along with a rolled oat topping.
1tablespoonrolled oats[porridge oats, jumbo oats, old-fashioned oats, or similar]
Instructions
Prepare the vegan buttermilk:
Mix the apple cider vinegar with the milk. Leave for at least 15-20 minutes. This step can be done a few hours in advance.
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 400 millilitres plant-based milk
Prepare the soda bread:
Preheat your oven to 180 Fan, 200 Celsius, 400 Fahrenheit, Gas 6.
Grease a baking tray with a small amount of oil or similar and dust with some flour. Alternatively place a sheet of baking paper over the tray.
Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt together in a bowl.
500 grams strong wholemeal bread flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Give the vegan buttermilk a good stir. Pour the curdled milk into the flour mix, using just enough milk to bring the mix into a dough that can be shaped with flour dusted hands and is not too sticky. Don't pour it all in at once as there is usually some buttermilk left.
Place your dough onto a floured work surface.Don't knead the dough too much as it will overwork it.Just bring it together and pat with your hands into a circle shape about 1 ½-2 inch high.
Add extra flour if your dough is too sticky to work with or add extra milk if your dough is too dry to form into a dough. You can wet your hands with leftover buttermilk and pat onto your dough to fix any dry cracks.
Place the formed dough onto the baking tray.
Using a sharp knife score a cross through the bread to about ½ of the way down. Also add a small slit at each corner or in the middle of each wedge (to release any fairies/pixies!)
Brush the bread surface with buttermilk. If you have used all your buttermilk brush with some extra milk.
Scatter the rolled oats over the unbaked bread.
1 tablespoon rolled oats
Bake on the middle oven shelf for 30-35 minutes or until nicely golden brown, risen, and firm to the touch. Exact times will depend on your oven. Carefully turn your bread over and tap its underside. If it sounds hollow it's ready.We used a fan oven and our soda bread was ready just after the 30 minute mark.
Transfer the bread to a cooling rack or leave on the baking tray to cool.
If the bread is cut whilst still very hot it will look quite dense and moist inside so its best to wait until its cooler to slice. Although it will still be delicious if you can't wait.
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict analysis as ingredients vary.
Soda bread is at its best 1-2 days after baking but it will keep fresh for 2-3 days, but older soda bread 3-4 days old can still be enjoyed toasted or refreshed in the oven.
Store soda bread wrapped in baking paper or kitchen foil, or within a bread bag, and place in a bread bin or similar.
Alternatively go the traditional route and wrap in a clean tea towel and keep in a bread bin or somewhere cool and dry.
Freeze soda bread, well wrapped, for 2-3 months. Add a small piece of baking paper between individual slices for easy removal of a few slices at a time.
Soda bread is best enjoyed soon after baking, but older slices are amazing toasted or reheated in a warm oven for a few minutes to refresh.
Toasted and buttered soda bread with baked beans scooped over and a little nutritional yeast flakes or grated vegan cheese, makes for a delicious hearty lunch or lighter dinner.
Enjoy a wedge of soda bread with your favourite soup or stew, or as an accompaniment to a salad.
Soda bread can be either sliced into portions or go rustic and pull apart the scored wedges.