My gluten free Irish soda bread recipe is my gluten free take on a classic! Whole grain oat flour is mixed with sour milk, an egg, and a little maple syrup to make a sturdy, crusty loaf. Based on an Irish recipe, this soda bread is wonderful in sandwiches, for toast, and more!
Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe
This beyond-easy recipe for gluten free Irish soda bread is inspired by a recipe in Darina Allen's "The Forgotten Skills of Cooking." In the cookbook, this type of Irish soda bread is called "brown soda bread" and is considered to be a more modern soda bread because it's made with an egg and a little sweetener. Unlike a free-form soda bread - like in my recipe for gluten free soda bread - the dough is baked in a loaf pan and doesn't require kneading. A tender yet sturdy whole grain crumb makes this bread perfect for sandwiches, toasting and serving with jam, and more.
Why You'll Love This Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
- Easy – You need just one gluten-free flour, whole grain oat flour, to form the base of the dough. A few other gluten-free basics round out the ingredients list.
- Traditional – I based this soda bread recipe on a simple Irish soda bread recipe written by an Irish baker. Learn more about Darina Allen here.
- Quick Gluten Free Bread Recipe - Unlike other gluten-free bread recipes that can become complicated, this is a simple recipe that needs less than an hour and a half to put together. And, it actually tastes good and is sturdy enough to slice and use for sandwiches!
What You Need
Check out the ingredients that go into this gluten free Irish soda bread below. Find the full ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the end of this post - this is just an overview.
- Oat flour - My go-to choice for gluten-free baking, oat flour gives this soda bread a soft crumb and a nice rise
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt in my recipes!
- Baking soda
- Egg - Use a large egg
- Vegetable oil - Or use another neutral oil of choice
- Maple syrup - I used maple syrup in this recipe - honey would also be nice, or try molasses, or brown sugar
- Sour milk - My choice for this Irish soda bread is milk soured with vinegar. I added 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the milk (you can use whole milk or 2% milk) for the necessary acidity to help the bread rise. You can swap buttermilk if you wish
Why Use Oat Flour?
Oat flour is my favorite gluten-free flour to use in baking recipes. In many recipes, you can do a straight 1:1 swap if you measure the flour by weight (I’ve included both weight and cup measurements to keep things easy for you in the recipe card.) In this soda bread recipe, oat flour performs beautifully, mimicking whole wheat flour in how it works to create a sturdy loaf. It also adds a touch of whole grain flavor to this bread, which contains just a little maple syrup for sweetness.
How to Make Irish Soda Bread
Follow along with my photos below that will give you an idea of how you'll make this recipe. The detailed instructions are lower down in the recipe card.
- Prep: Grease a loaf pan.
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk egg: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg.
- Add remaining ingredients: Whisk in the oil, maple syrup, and sour milk.
- Prep: Make a well in the dry ingredients.
- Combine: Add in the wet ingredients all at once.
- Mix: Stir until a soft dough forms.
- Place in pan: Dump the dough into the prepared tin.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 400℉ and let the batter rest while the oven heats. Bake the loaf for about 1 hour.
- Cool in tin: When the bread is done, cool it in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Cool completely: Turn the loaf out onto the rack to cool completely.
A Few Tips & Subsitution Suggestions
Gluten-free baking benefits from following a few best practices such as hydrating the dough. I've included a few tips plus substitution options below:
- Dough will be wet. After you combine the wet and dry mix, the dough will still be quite wet. This is normal! This soda bread is meant to be baked as a loaf, and it will come together as it bakes.
- Hydrate the dough: As in all gluten-free baking, it’s important to let the dough sit for about 15 minutes while the oven heats so that the oat flour can soak up moisture, making for a more sturdy crumb.
- Use buttermilk. My choice was to "sour' my milk by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the amount of milk called for in the recipe. You could swap lemon juice for the vinegar, or substitute an equal amount of low-fat buttermilk.
- Go dairy-free. Easily make this a gluten and dairy-free soda bread by substituting plant-based milk for the milk.
- Oat flour substitute. Instead of oat flour, do a direct substitute of sorghum flour, which has a similar taste and texture to oat flour. Or, sub 4 cups of 1:1 gluten free flour for the oat flour.
Serving Options
Gluten free Irish soda bread is wonderful served warm and fresh. Let the loaf cool a bit, then cut it into thick slices and top them with a little softened plain or salted butter. You can also drizzle honey over slices for a touch of extra sweetness.
Or, add butter and a spoonful of your favorite jam to a slice of toasted soda bread. For a savory idea, use soda bread to make a cheese sandwich or a cheese toastie, or top slices with peanut or almond butter, fruit, or jam. You can also serve Irish soda bread with a hot bowl of broccoli or carrot cauliflower soup.
How to Store Irish Soda Bread
This soda bread is wonderful on the day it's made, and keeps well for a few days well-wrapped. Here's how to store it properly:
- Counter – Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and store it on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – To freeze soda bread, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, then foil, or place it in a freezer-safe, sealable bag, and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the bread in the fridge before serving it.
- To Reheat – Pop slices of gluten free soda bread in the toaster or toaster oven and toast until lightly crisp. Or, place the loaf of soda bread on a baking sheet and warm it in a 350℉ for five minutes.
More Irish-Inspired Recipes
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups oat flour (560 grams)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, honey, molasses, or brown sugar
- 1 ⅔ cups sour milk , or buttermilk
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the oil, maple syrup, and sour milk.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Mix together until a soft, sloppy dough forms. Dump the dough into th prepared loaf tin.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and let the batter rest while the oven heats, about 10-15 minutes. When the oven is ready, place the bread in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, until a crust forms on the top and the loaf sounds hollow when you knock on it.
- Cool the bread in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. The bread will keep for several days, wrapped in plastic, at room temperature.
I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note.