Gluten-Free Soda Bread (Dairy-Free, Vegan)
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This Gluten-Free Soda Bread is an easy gluten-free bread recipe which needs no xanthan gum and is yeast-free so is incredibly quick to make. This version also contains no buttermilk so it's dairy-free and vegan making it a recipe which can be enjoyed by all.
To achieve a gluten-free yeast-free bread that is uncomplicated, tasty and not terribly dense is a tough ask. Then if you need to avoid xanthan gum too you might be tearing out your hair.
Step forward this wonderful Gluten-Free Soda Bread recipe which will be the perfect antidote to your struggles. This homemade bread requires no yeast, no kneading, no rising and no complicated ingredients. It takes 15 minutes to mix up the dough using just a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon and only 45 minutes in the oven. So that’s an easy prep with no special equipment and pretty much 1 hour from start to finish.
I'll show you how to achieve great success with this recipe first time with step-by-step photos and a recipe video. Plus plenty of tips including gluten-free flour substitution advice if you have other food sensitivities.
What Is Soda Bread?
Traditional Irish Soda Bread is an Irish heritage recipe which dates back to the mid-19th century. Its name "soda bread" comes from the use of bicarbonate of soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast so there is no proving time to be considered. Instead we achieve a great bread rise through the reaction of bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Soda Bread
- Deliciously tasty crusty bread..
- This gluten-free bread doesn't require any proving time since there is no yeast.
- The combination of gluten-free flours give a wonderful wholegrain rich flavour.
- No xanthan gum and no psyllium husk. The only extra binder needed is ground flaxseeds.
- Very easy to make, only one hour from start to finish.
- No dairy buttermilk - which means this recipe is vegan and dairy-free.
Watch the Video
Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread recipe.
Irish Soda Bread No Buttermilk
Traditional soda bread recipes use a combination of buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to create the rise. To make the recipe dairy-free (which also makes it vegan), or if you don’t have any buttermilk to hand, you can use a non-dairy milk mixed with a little acid to create the same buttermilk effect. This recipe uses a plant based milk with apple cider vinegar but you can use any non-dairy milk and you can swap lemon juice in for the vinegar if that is what you have.
Ingredients and Notes
Gluten-Free Flours
I do not recommend substituting any of these flours for a gluten-free all purpose flour. This specific gluten-free flour blend has been developed so the bread is the correct structure and texture. A substitution will change the end results. However, you can change some of the flours for other single origin flours if certain food sensitivities are an issue for you - these substitutions are given below.
Oat Flour. Gluten-free oat flour is the perfect light and fluffy texture for the bread, as well as providing a delicious oaty taste. Substitution: You can substitute with sorghum flour if you can’t digest oats but some brands of sorghum flour can be a little gritty which does come through in this bread recipe since such a large amount is needed.
Defatted Almond Flour. The defatted almond flour helps with the structure of the bread due to its very high protein content. This is different to regular almond flour.
Substitution: I don't recommend replacing with regular almond flour (ground almonds) as the loaf will be a bit too moist as defatted almond flour has 20% of the fat removed. For best results, instead replace the defatted almond flour with chickpea flour if you are finding it too difficult to get hold of.
Potato Starch (not potato flour). Potato starch is used for structure and to alleviate the density of the loaf.
Tapioca Flour (tapioca starch). Tapioca flour is chosen as it gives the bread a lovely golden crust and also helps bind all the other flours together in lieu of gluten.
Other Ingredients
Non-dairy milk + apple cider vinegar. This mix negates the need for buttermilk as the non-dairy milk and the vinegar react to make a tangy substitute that gives the bread a soft crumb. This recipe was tested with oat milk but you could use coconut milk, almond milk or cashew milk. (you can replace with buttermilk if dairy is not an issue for you).
Ground flaxseeds. This bread needs a little more binding due to the lack of gluten. Flaxseeds add a great viscosity which helps to keep the bread tender. Substitution: If you don’t have flaxseeds then ground chia seeds work in exactly the same way, so just swap in the same quantity.
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). This gives great lift to the bread.
Kosher salt. To enhance the flavour of the bread.
How To Make Gluten-Free Soda Bread
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F and line a 6 inch round cake tin (4 inches deep) with baking parchment on the bottom and around the sides.
Sift the flours in a large bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Stir the flaxseeds into the milk.
Whisk the milk and vinegar together and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix well until a thick sticky and cohesive dough has been formed.
Tip the dough into the cake tin, smoothing the surface, and bake for 45 minutes.
Expert Tips
Regular wheat flour soda bread is usually baked free-form just on a baking sheet. However, here I recommend baking this gluten-free version in a round cake tin. This dough is a little looser and it helps the bread stay in shape during the bake.
This is a sticky dough so do line the cake tin on the bottom and sides with baking parchment paper (although this isn't shown on the process images). Cut out a circle of parchment and place on the bottom. Cut out a straight line of parchment and curl it round the insides of the cake tin. Do not grease the parchment.
Allow the bread to cool completely to room temperature to avoid any gumminess. Then to serve cut with a sharp knife and spread the slice with plenty of Irish butter and sea salt.
Recipe Variations
Cinnamon Raisin Soda Bread: Add cinnamon and golden raisins to the dough for a lightly sweet quick bread that is delicious with lashings of jam.
Mixed Seed and Nut Soda Bread: Mix in a variety of seeds and nuts such as caraway seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chopped almonds or walnuts for a wholesome hearty bread.
Chocolate Chip Soda Bread: Fold chocolate chips and a bit of sugar into the dough for a bit of indulgence at breakfast.
Cranberry and Orange Soda Bread: Mix dried cranberries and orange zest into the dough for a fruity and tangy bread which is lovely at Christmas.
FAQs
I like a round loaf for my soda bread which is traditional. This recipe was tested in a 6 inch round cake tin with 4 inch depth.
How do I know when my gluten-free soda bread has finished baking?
The bread is ready to come out of the oven when it is golden brown on top, sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
This bread has a relatively short shelf life of 1-2 days before it starts to stale. I recommend if you are not eating it all within the day then to freeze the bread in slices.
Yes, gluten-free soda bread can be frozen but you must freeze on the day of baking. Allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes You'll Love
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Gluten-Free Soda Bread (Dairy-Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 180 g gluten-free oat flour
- 120 g defatted almond flour*
- 60 g potato starch
- 60 g tapioca flour - (tapioca starch)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 350 ml non-dairy milk
- 1¼ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 20 g ground flaxseeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted /gas mark 4 / 350°F.
- Line a 6 inch x 4 inch round cake tin with baking parchment - both on the bottom and around the insides of the tin.
- Whisk the milk with the apple cider vinegar in a jug and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
- Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Whisk the flaxseeds into the milk and leave for 5 minutes.
- Make a well in the middle of the flours and pour in the liquid. Mix well.
- Pour the bread dough into the lined cake tin and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes before carefully inserting out of the tin and leave to cool completely on a rack.
Video
Notes
- You cannot replace any of these flours with an all-purpose gluten-free flour as the results will not be the same.
- Defatted almond flour is not the same as regular almond flour (ground almonds) as it has 20% of the fat removed. If you cannot find it (or it's too expensive) then replace with the same amount of chickpea flour (gram flour).
- Oat flour can be subbed with sorghum flour.
- For the non-dairy milk you can use oat milk, coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk or a combo of any of them.
- Instead of the apple cider vinegar you can use the same amount of lemon juice.
- If you don’t have any flaxseeds to hand then you can swap in ground chia seeds.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting otherwise it might be gummy.
Hi Georgina. I had to go wheat-free 3 years ago. I have just used your soda bread recipe, substituting chickpea flour for the defatted almond. The whole concept of using flax- or chia- seeds to substitute for lack of gluten was new to me. Woo-hoo, I discovered that my local wholefood shop actually stocks ground flax seed (aka linseed - they assured me it was the same thing). I wish I could put a photo on here - I'm delighted with the loaf that your recipe produced. Great texture, well-risen, slices well once cool, and DELICIOUS. Thank you so much.
You are very welcome - yes your local shop steered you correctly - linseed is the same. I'm so happy you enjoyed this soda bread recipe!
Just made this, came out great (wish I could post a pic of it)! Thanks so much for this recipe and site. I can’t have xanthum and other gums and have been frustrated by the lack of GF items that don’t use them. Looking furries to trying your other recipes!
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the Soda Bread - thank you for leaving your feedback!
Very easy to make and tasted lovely! I saw this posted on instagram and as i'd just made some soup i thought this would be a perfect match. I used semi skimmed milk instead of almond milk and it worked perfectly. I used a tin that was too big so it was a bit flatter than it should have been but it didn't effect the taste.
That's great to hear Lauren - I'm so happy you enjoyed the soda bread!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m always excited to try gluten free recipes without xanthan gum and psyllium. I just used regular almond flour because that is what I had and it still turned out great. I just baked it a little longer. It held together well and has a great flavour. I’ll definitely make this again!
Hi Judy, I'm so happy you enjoyed the soda bread!! Thank you for leaving your feedback and letting us know the regular almond flour worked well.
If you prefer to use buttermilk would that be a problem?
No, buttermilk is fine to use in this recipe!
Since i dont have almond flour, i just use the total grammage of flour using the GF mix flour recipe. Turns out very moist and delicious. I eat it with balsamic vinegar and avocado oil and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you Georgina
You are most welcome - I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank You Georgina for another great recipe! Although I have been baking gluten free for many years a really good bread recipe has alluded me. I can’t have psyllium, so those recipes don’t work for me, and I try to avoid all the gums. I made the soda bead exactly as you suggested ( I did forget to put the flax in the milk to thicken but added it to dry ingredients) and the taste was lovely and oaty and it slices really well. One thing that helped was an instant read thermometer, the bread was still doughy after 45 minutes so I took it’s temperature until it read 210 degrees F. That took 1 hour and 45 minutes at 375F. For my oven. Thanks again for all your great G.F. Research and recipes.
A fan from across the pond.
You are so welcome - I'm happy you enjoyed the bread and thank you so much for leaving feedback!
I made this bread with sunflower seed flour (in place of almond flour) and although it tastes nice, it is very crumbly. Do you have any suggestions on what I could do to improve the texture?
Hi Alison, the sunflower seed flour should not have made a difference to the overall texture - as it has similar properties to almond flour. I'm afraid I've never experienced this bread with a crumbly texture. I'm sure you followed the ingredients and recipe exactly but other than checking through this is the only thing I can suggest as I couldn't advise you to start adjussting the ingredients as it will upset the whole recipe. Other than crumbliness, was the rest of the texture as you expect?
Hi Georgina, thank you for your reply. I’ve checked the ingredients and they all seem right. The texture is fine apart from being crumbly. I did manage to slice some of the loaf and freeze it. The frozen bread is really nice if I toast it in a sandwich press (the slice flattens out, and the outside toasts but the middle is still soft). I’ll probably try making the loaf again, but could I use dairy milk instead of dairy-free? Thanks Alison
How strange. Yes you can use dairy milk.
Yay! No rice flour. Making this asap! Thank you!
Looking forward to hearing what you think!!
The best bread I have had to eat in 9 months since being gluten free. The flavour and texture are fantastic, even my fussy husband ate it and he usually refuses anything gluten free. Next time I need to leave it slighty longer in the oven as the bottom was a little doughy. Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
That's great to hear - thank you Liz!
This turned out really well with a delicious flavour and very good texture. My mix was considerably more liquid than the photo but cooked through in 45 minutes which did surprise me. Has quite a soft top, whereas yours looks quite crusty. Any suggestion how I could achieve that? (I used normal milk and vinegar for the ‘buttermilk’)
Have made this a few times for a coeliac friend. Turned out really well she loved it. Have made it according to the recipe ,but also have used egg instead of the flax seed which was great even though I forgot to reduce the milk so it was a bit runny. Last time I used lacto free milk and Doves Farm plain flour. Turns out delicious every time. Thank you for a great recipe.
That's great to hear - you are most welcome!
I used half almond milk and half double cream as I had some leftover and wanted to use it up. The bread turned out really lovely, I'm very pleased with it. Thank you for the recipe!
Can I reduce the amount of almonds and replace them with something else?
I wouldn't recommend reducing the amount of almonds but you can replace them with sunflower seed flour which is a great alternative.
I can’t eat potatoes, any suggestions for what I can sub that with or just more of the other flours?
Thanks
So, in theory you would need to swap the potato starch with another starch in order that the same roles in the flour mix are fulfilled. I don't like to rely too much on one flour - especially where bread is concerned. So I would either swap for another starch entirely like cassava flour or I would even try splitting the difference between the almond flour and the tapioca starch. I haven't tried either of these substitutions so this is just a best guess. The potato starch is a very light starch and helps give the bread more lift which the other flours don't do so your end result won't be exactly the same but will still be very tasty.
I followed the recipe to the letter but unfortunately the bread didn't rise. I tried it for flavour and thought it was very nice. It's a shame the texture wasn't right. I wonder what went wrong!