Irish soda bread is an ancient Celtic bread, and in this recipe we’ll make it vegan, without butter and buttermilk. One advantage of this method for making bread is that there’s no need to knead or get your hands dirty. Irish soda bread makes itself; we only need to weigh, mix, and bake the ingredients.
How does the leavening of Irish soda bread work?
The leavening happens by the reaction of two elements: baking soda and an acidic component (apple cider vinegar or lemon). When combined they produce carbon dioxide (CO2), which puffs up the dough and creates the typical crumb structure of the bread.
Why is it quick and easy to make this vegan Irish soda bread?
Because you don’t have to wait for long fermentation times like with pane spiga, there’s no kneading, and you don’t use yeast. To make the method even simpler I divided the ingredients into two groups to be prepared separately and then combined.
The first group contains the dry ingredients; the second group contains the liquids. After mixing the two groups you’ll obtain a very soft batter that will begin to expand immediately. You should pour it into the pan and bake it right away.
I had fun creating two other versions from this basic recipe: whole wheat soda bread and soda bread with barley and soy flour — you’ll find them at the bottom of the page.
Also, the quantities given here are perfect for a 10 1/4-inch (26 cm) loaf pan, which I recommend for baking this bread. With a little imagination you can create other flour combinations as long as you don’t exceed the baking soda amount.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Portions: 12 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups Type 0 flour (all-purpose)
- 1 2/3 cups durum wheat flour
- 1 2/3 tsp salt
- 2 1/3 tsp sugar
- 1 1/3 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Preparation
In a bowl place all the dry ingredients: the flours, salt, sugar and finally the baking soda. Mix them well.
In another bowl pour all the liquid ingredients: the water, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil.
Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry mixture and stir well with a spoon for about one minute. The batter will be very soft, similar to a cake batter.
Oil a loaf pan and pour the batter into it, then score a cross on the surface with a sharp knife. Optionally, sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds on top.
Preheat the oven and bake the bread at 356°F (180°C) for about 50 minutes.
When baked, remove it from the oven, take it out of the pan and let it cool.
The other two recipes — whole wheat soda bread and soda bread with barley and soy flour — follow the same procedure.
THE DRY INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups type 0 (white) flour (300 g)
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour (200 g)
7/8 cup durum wheat flour (100 g)
1 2/3 tsp salt (10 g)
2 1/3 tsp sugar (10 g)
1 1/3 tsp baking soda (6 g)
THE LIQUIDS
2 cups + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water (500 ml)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (20 ml)
1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
Pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top.
THE DRY INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups type 0 (white) flour (300 g)
3/4 cup soy flour (100 g)
3/4 cup barley flour (100 g)
3/4 cup durum wheat flour (100 g)
1 2/3 tsp salt (10 g)
2 1/3 tsp sugar (10 g)
1 1/3 tsp baking soda (6 g)
THE LIQUIDS
2 cups + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water (500 ml)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (20 ml)
1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top.
