A Perfect Simple Pleasure: Homemade GLUTEN FREE Soda Bread
There's something wonderfully comforting about the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the kitchen. Soda bread, a traditional Irish staple, is perfect for celebrating all the feelings this month embodies. It's a rustic, hearty bread that requires minimal ingredients and effort yet yields incredible mouth-watering results, and “this version” is gluten-free.
Making things from scratch brings real joy, and this nostalgic soda bread is no exception. Today, I’m sharing a delicious recipe that you can try at home, too.
Have fun and enjoy.
Love, Kelly
PS: if you end up making a loaf (or two!) I’d love to hear from you.
Ingredients:
½ - ¾ cup milk, dairy or non-dairy (not skim)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (8 Tbs.) cold butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
12 oz (1 ½ cups) vanilla or plain yogurt (e.g. So Delicious® Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt)
1 cup raisins
1 Tbs. caraway seeds (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Set the rack in the lower third of the oven. Lightly spray an 8, 9, or 10-inch round cast-iron skillet, spring-form, or round baking pan with cooking oil; set aside.
In a small bowl, add apple cider vinegar to 1/2 cup of milk and set aside to curdle. If it is necessary to add more milk to the dough later, simply add additional un-curdled milk.
In a large bowl, whisk together the gfJules™ flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Using a pastry cutter or a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cut the butter into the bowl with the flour mixture until a fine pebbly meal is made. Add yogurt, curdled milk, raisins, and seeds (if using) and beat until a sticky dough is formed. If the dough is dry or crumbly, add more milk (up to ¼ cup) and mix until the dough holds together well and resembles scone dough – sticky, thick and slightly wet.
Scoop dough into prepared skillet or pan, then flour your hands well with gfJules™ flour and pat the dough to form it into a mound in the center of the pan, or use a bench scraper, if you prefer. Dip a large, sharp knife in water, then score an "X" into the center of the mounded dough.
Bake until golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center down to the bottom comes out clean, about 1 hour. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Once fully cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
Yield: 1 loaf
** Thank you to Jules Shepard for the great recipe. Find more great GF treats on her site at gfjules.com. Jules was voted “The Gluten-Free Person of the Decade” in 2020.
Closing Notes
Making soda bread at home is a truly rewarding experience. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, you can create a delicious loaf that will surely impress. Whether you're a seasoned baker or new to the world of bread-making, soda bread is a wonderful recipe to have in your repertoire. I really do hope you’ll roll up your sleeves, preheat your oven, and enjoy the wonderful, simple pleasure of making your own homemade soda bread. Please do share and send photos if you’d like. I’ll see you on the other side.