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This Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread has no yeast so is incredibly quick to make and this version also happens to be vegan and uses no xanthan gum.
It’s St Patrick’s Day this weekend and although it’s not really a holiday we celebrate, despite my grandfather being Irish, I have relished this opportunity to perfect and share this Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread.
My struggles getting a really good gluten-free bread up on the blog have been well documented in my Insta Stories. Most of my bread endeavours have been perfectly edible but to get a loaf that is uncomplicated, tasty and not terribly dense is a tough ask. Especially if you need to avoid using xanthan gum which I always am. See this post which explains why I never bake with xanthan gum.
Irish Soda Bread has been the perfect antidote to my struggles. There is no yeast involved, no kneading, no rising and no complicated ingredients. It takes 15 minutes to mix up the dough and only 45 minutes in the oven. So that’s pretty much 1 hour from start to finish.
please note the above photo was taken before I realised the need for lining the cake tin with baking parchment – see top tips below.
What is Irish Soda Bread?
Irish Soda Bread is a traditional very quick bread recipe which is made without yeast so there is no proving time to be considered. Instead the bread rises through the reaction of bicarbonate of soda and acidic buttermilk.
How Do You Make Vegan Soda Bread?
Regular Irish Soda Bread uses a combination of buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda to create the rise. To make the recipe 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 oat 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.
The Flours
I tested this recipe a bunch of times with a different combination of flours. I finally settled on the following mix:
Oat Flour
The oat flour is the perfect light and fluffy texture for the bread, as well as providing a delicious oaty taste. 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.
Almond Flour
The almond flour also gives the bread a lovely texture and taste. It is light but also helps keeps the bread from being dry and crumbly.
Potato Starch
Potato starch is used for structure and to alleviate the density of the loaf.
Tapioca Flour
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.
Why Do We Use Ground Flaxseeds?
The bread needed a little more binding. Many wholegrain Irish Soda Bread recipes compensate by adding an egg. I wanted to keep this bread vegan so turned to flaxseeds which when added to liquid have a certain viscosity which helps to keep the bread tender.
What Can You Substitute For The Flaxseeds?
If you don’t have flaxseeds then ground chia seeds work in exactly the same way, so just swap in the same quantity.
How Do You Make Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread?
- Whisk the milk and vinegar together.
- Sift the flours with the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Add the flaxseeds to the milk.
- Pour the milk into the flours and mix well.
- Tip the dough into a cake tin and bake for 45 minutes.
Top Tips for Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
- Regular Irish Soda Bread can be baked free-form just on a baking sheet. 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.
- Also, do use line the cake tin on the bottom and sides with baking parchment to stop the bread from sticking. 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.
Shop the Recipe:
- Gluten-free-oat flour
- Gluten-free potato starch
- Digital scales
- Kosher salt
- Baking parchment
- 8 inch round cake tin
More Gluten-Free Recipes You Might Like
Happiness Bread
Gluten-Free Scones
The Best All-Butter Gluten-Free Pastry
If you make this Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 180 g oat flour
- 120 g almond flour
- 60 g potato starch
- 60 g tapioca flour
- 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. Line the bottom of a 6 inch x 4 inch round cake tin with baking parchment 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 on a rack.
Notes
- 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.
Happiness Bread
Gluten-Free Naan Bread {no yeast, no xanthan gum}
Chocolate Courgette Muffins {vegan, gluten-free}
Hello, so lovely of you to drop by. I am Georgina. I bake a lot, eat a lot and love writing about my gluten-free kitchen adventures here. I run a gluten-free cake business but am mostly kept busy with my 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 husband, 2 gorgeous sons and twin baby girls.
This has got to be the best gluten free soda bread recipe around! We live in Ireland and I often make soda bread but I’m on an anti inflammatory diet at the moment and can’t eat it. I’m made up I can enjoy a sandwich again! Thanks so much.
Thank you – what lovely feedback – so happy you like the recipe!
Great, thank you for your egg feedback.
One more question, I’m going to substitute the non-dairy milk for buttermilk but should I completely omit the apple cider vinegar then?
Thanks!
Yes, the apple cider vinegar is there just to assist the non-dairy milk. If you’re using buttermilk then you won’t need it.
Hi Georgina! Thanks for the recipe.
Curious, if I didn’t have flax seeds or chia could I substitute one egg in place instead? Would it be that literal of a swap? Thanks!
Hi Autie, I haven’t tried an egg in this particular recipe but yes in theory you would just swap in 1 egg.
Thanks for the recipe, I made a variation of this today using Teff flour instead of Oat flour as I feel like I eat too many oats! And I had just got Teff flour and wanted to try it. Used a gluten free plain flour blend instead of separate potato and tapioca flours. And used a mix of milk and yoghurt instead of non dairy milk. I really like it, it makes a delicious change from oatcakes!
Any tips on storage please, would I be best freezing most of it do you think? And then could it be heated from frozen or not?
Hi Fiona, teff flour sounds like a lovely substitute – I know what you mean about the oats but I can’t help myself – I love ’em!! Yes, freezing would be the best thing. You can freeze in slices and then just stick them in the toaster when you want a slice. Wrap up well though to avoid freezer burn and eat within a couple of weeks.
Hi there!
Wondering if the milk and vinegar is to make “a substitute for buttermilk”? If I’m not worried about it being vegan- do you think it would be better to use buttermilk and eggs? Celiac in the USA here and I’m on the hunt for the perfect recipe for everyday bread for my family!
Hi Mary, yes you can use the same amount of buttermilk in place of the milk and omit the non-dairy milk. Irish Soda Bread doesn’t traditionally use eggs – it’s a much more rustic bread so you don’t need to add them in here.
Hi again Georgia! Thanks for the reply! It’s in the oven right now.
In your photo, the dough looks quite wet- almost like a batter. Mine was definitely large crumbs at first. I slowly added more and more buttermilk but think I must have added again another half of the amount called for. It still seemed a bit dry.
I’m in the USA, so maybe one of the flours I have soaked it up a little more? Next time should I feel adding buttermilk until I get to a pourable cake batter like consistency? Thanks!
Hi Mary, actual buttermilk is a little thicker. How did the bread turn out most importantly?
Haha! HORRIBLE!! After almost 90 minutes in the oven, I took it out. After cooling it was about 2.5 inches tall… and totally raw inside! Hard as a brick with no rise and still wet inside! Inedible! I did nibble at the crust and the flavor is so delicious.
So… any suggestions? I so want this to work!!
Oh! I guess one more question- i looked up 180 Celsius and it’s 350 F for me over her basically. I have no idea what 160/180 fan assisted means though… i hear it all the time on Great British Bake Off but I’ve never heard of an American oven with a “fan.”
I also baked in a preheated Dutch oven since I’ve always found that to be helpful with gluten free breads. I don’t know if that contributed to rawness on the inside? The crust was lovely though.
Hi Mary, Yes 180 degrees celsius is 355 F so the temperature you baked at was fine but I simply don’t know what effect baking the loaf in a Dutch oven would have – I have never baked bread this way. I wish I could help more but the recipe that works for me and my recipe testers is the one published. Any slight variation to the ingredients or method could radically change the outcome. I tested this recipe extensively to get it perfect and bread can be a tricky customer so I really would recommend going back to the recipe and trying it exactly as written including all the same ingredients if you want to make this one work.
Unfortunately oats are not gluten free, are if exists on a local market is super expensive, in addition my body “thinks” that avenine (the protein present in oats) is gluten so it makes me a lot of damage. Is there in way this recipe is entirely gluten free, suitable for coeliacs? Thanks
Hi Alina, oats can be so divisive in gluten-free foods. I am based in the UK where gluten-free oats are easily available and considered acceptable by coeliac.org.uk. However, I am aware that many individuals are avenin-sensitive. Of course you can substitute the oat flour. When developing this recipe I tried millet flour, buckwheat flour and sorghum flour in the mix as well. The only drawback with using any of these flours is their unique taste which I preferred not to have in my everyday soda bread. However, do experiment with a combination of these flours instead of the oat flour to find a delicious taste that works for you.
Delicious! I’m always on the lookout for nutritious wheat free recipes (that aren’t just ‘use a gf flour mix’). This was quick, easy, and a big hit with my 9yo. Thanks! I did add an egg instead of the
Flaxseed – so it was prob a bit wetter. But still yum
Hi Tania, thank you for your feedback! I use this bread recipe so much and I was very happy to share!
I have tried many a disappointing bread recipe as a coeliac so it was a massive relief and excitement to find one that works – it’s tasty, doesn’t resemble a brick, doesn’t crumble, and is still moist enough to be eaten untoastef after four days. I used ground almonds and potato starch , as that’s what was in the cupboard, and will definitely make again. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your feedback Bethan!! I’m so happy you love this bread as much as I do. Good to know that ground almonds and potato starch work in this recipe too!
I’m excited about this recipe!
Do you think I could sub chestnut flour for almond, as that’s what I have to hand at the moment? Although so many interesting recipes here and on minimalist baker call for almond flour I might splash out on some.
Or could I sub almond meal?
Thanks!
There is no reason why you couldn’t try chestnut flour. However, it will give the bread a strong chestnutty taste which would be lovely but not the neutral taste that almond flour has. Almond flour is such a go-to flour for me that I think your investment would be worthwhile.
I made this this morning. Like your other reader I subbed ground almonds and potato starch, as I could only find these. I also added 1 tbsp molasses and some pumpkin and sunflower seeds. It came out beautifully!! Have sliced and frozen the rest. Am so happy to find a GF bread without weird ingredients that tastes as good as any wheat based soda bread (and I lived on soda bread when I lived in Galway!) Thanks for another amazing recipe. I can’t wait until you’ve cracked yeasted bread!
That’s brilliant! Yes, potato starch and ground almonds do work just as well. The pumpkin and sunflower seeds sound lovely – I’ll definitely use those next time too!
Recipe does not say if the cider vinegar is 1 1/2 tsp, tbsp. or whatever.
It’s 1 1/4 tablespoons. Thank you – recipe amended!