Gluten Free Soda Bread
This gluten free soda bread recipe transforms a loaf of traditional soda bread into a beautifully craggy gluten-free version. Adapted from a classic Irish recipe, this tender bread is absolutely delicious spread with a bit of salted butter.
Gluten Free Soda Bread Recipe
Darina Allen’s stellar “Forgotten Skills of Cooking” inspired me to make this gluten free soda bread recipe. (I adapted my version of soda bread directly from page 560 if you’d like to take a look.) It’s an easy, wholesome bread that uses oat flour for structure and a little curdled milk to activate the baking soda. (If you’re not familiar with Darina Allen, she is a well-known Irish cook and cookbook author who runs Ballymaloe Cookery School in East Cork.)
In the cookbook, this particular recipe for soda bread is called “white soda bread.” It’s a more basic soda bread than others you may be used to. It doesn’t contain any “extras” like raisins or orange peel. You won’t need any egg or butter to bind it together. Yet it bakes into a wonderfully sliceable (and gluten free!) loaf that’s delicious spread with a bit of butter, honey, or jam.
I drew on Allen’s notes to create this recipe, and I’ve included some suggestions lower down to help you make this gluten free version, too! One favorite tip? Make sure to cut a deep cross in the top of the bread before you bake it “to let the fairies out.”
Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
- Easy – Just oat flour, glorious oat flour, is the only gluten-free flour you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Traditional – I based my gluten free soda bread recipe on a simple Irish soda bread recipe written by an Irish baker. Learn more about Darina Allen here.
- Gluten Free – All of the ingredients needed to make this bread are naturally gluten-free, making it a great go-to choice when you need a loaf of quick bread.
What You Need
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oat flour – My go-to choice for gluten-free baking, oat flour gives this soda bread a rustic touch.
- Salt – I always use fine sea salt!
- Baking soda
- Milk – You can use whole milk or 2 % milk
- Lemon juice – Use freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible, or sub white vinegar
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 sweetness and flavor to this bread, which does not contain any added sugar or other flavorings.
How to Make Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Follow along with my photos below to guide you through making this wonderful soda bread recipe. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Make dry mix: Sift the oat flour, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl, then make a well in the center. Whisk the lemon juice into the milk.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat oven: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet.
- Knead: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few times.
- Form: Arrange the dough into a 1-inch thick round and score it if you wish.
- Bake: Place the bread in the oven and bake until slightly browned.
Tips and Substitutions
I love Darina Allen’s note about scoring a cross in the dough – this is to release any lingering fairies, of course, so you must remember to do this step! (You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but I love the look it gives the finished loaf.) A few other tips to refer to are outlined below:
- Hydrating the dough: After you combine the wet and dry mix, it will still be pretty wet. It’s important to let the dough sit for about 15 minutes so that the oat flour can soak up the moisture, making for a firmer dough.
- Forming the dough: However, even after letting the dough rest it can still be a bit wet. I find that I sometimes need to add a bit more oat flour so it’s not too loose when I turn it out on the board. You can add a little more oat flour, mix it in by hand, and then add a little more if you feel the dough needs it.
- Kneading the dough: Turn the dough onto an oat-floured surface, and knead and gather it together (Allen calls this “tidying up” the dough). Gluten-free dough performs differently than a dough with wheat flour, so it will not be as elastic when you work with it. This is fine! At this point, I may add in a little bit more flour so that I can form the loaf into a round without it flopping all over the place.
- Use buttermilk. I decided not to use buttermilk in this gluten free soda bread because of Allen’s observation that some buttermilk is thin, while others are thick. She notes that she prefers a thinner buttermilk for this bread. I used whole milk “curdled” with lemon juice instead of buttermilk – the acidity is necessary to help the loaf rise. However, if you wish, you can try using an equal amount of buttermilk for the milk and lemon juice.
- Go dairy-free. Easily make this a gluten and dairy-free soda bread by substituting plant-based milk for the milk.
- Oat flour substitute. Try 1 pound of gluten-free 1:1 flour for the oat flour if you prefer. I don’t like using gluten-free flour substitutes because they can often make my bakes turn out dry or gritty, but I do know they can make life easier!
Serving Suggestions
Gluten free soda bread is wonderful served warm and fresh. Add a little plain or salted butter and let it melt into the rustic crumb of the loaf. You can also drizzle honey over slices for a little 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. A cup of tea alongside is lovely but not necessary.
How to Store Gluten Free Soda Bread
Soda bread is best on the day that it’s made, but it will keep for a few days and is very nice when toasted. Here’s how to store it:
- 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
Gluten Free Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups oat flour (1 pound of oat flour)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Sift the oat flour, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Whisk the lemon juice into the milk, then make a well in the center of the dry mix and stir in the milk.
- Stir the dough together, adding a little more flour if it is very wet. The dough will be soft and sticky. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough onto a surface floured with oat flour. Knead the dough a few times to bring it together, adding a bit more flour if it is still wet. You want a malleable dough to form.
- Pat and arrange the dough into a round about 1 inch thick. Make a cross in the dough if you wish.
- Place the bread in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 400° and bake for another 30-40 minutes until done. The bread will be slightly browned and should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom of the loaf.
- Cool the bread on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting it.