Classic Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Recipe: Dairy Free
You don't have to be Irish to enjoy delicious gluten free Irish soda bread this St. Patrick's Day! This light but hearty bread gets it's lift from a unique combination of baking soda and dairy free buttermilk. Combine that with a dash of raisins and very little added sugar and you have a yeast free bread that's fit for a celebration, any time of year!
Jump to:
- Traditional Irish Soda Bread at a Glance
- Is Gluten-Free Soda Bread an Irish Recipe?
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
- Shaping & Baking the Large Loaf
- Texture of this Lightly Sweet Quick Bread
- Storage Tips
- Pro Tips for Gluten Free Soda Bread
- FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
- Recipe
Traditional Irish Soda Bread at a Glance
Gluten free baking comes with it's own set of rules and challenges (that's why my substitutes guide is so helpful!). But sometimes there are recipes that just make life easier. And this is one of those recipes. It's not only gluten free, but dairy free, low sugar, yeast free and free of xanthan gum. And this easy gluten-free recipe mixes together in just one large mixing bowl.
It's a bread that tastes like a subtle raisin bread, designed to be enjoyed with a dollop of dairy free butter. It's light, but substantial enough that makes for a filling snack. And this recipe is a gluten free twist on the St. Patrick's Day traditional bread.
As an affiliate partner of various brands and sponsored content, Zest for Baking may earn commission on qualifying purchases. Disclaimer
Is Gluten-Free Soda Bread an Irish Recipe?
As the name implies, Irish soda bread does, in fact, attribute it's popularity to the Irish. During the second half of the 19th century, recovering from the Irish famine, basic ingredients like flour, salt, baking soda, and leftover buttermilk from butter-making became more readily available in Ireland. Homemade bread like soda bread became a daily bread of the Irish.
Typically soda bread is a round loaf of bread, often slightly sweet, that follows the steps of a quick bread. The traditional soda bread recipe is made using baking soda (hence the name) as the leavening or rising agent. So no yeast is needed (just like these no yeast cinnamon rolls!). It usually also includes some salt, buttermilk, and in this case, gluten free flours and starches. Modern recipes may include golden raisins or dried cranberries, additional sweeteners like sugar, and even caraway seeds. It's still a simple bread with a rich history in terms of Irish food.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- The gluten-free flour blend used in this recipe is a flour mixture of: buckwheat flour, almond flour, sweet rice flour, potato flour, and sorghum flour.
- Flax seed - The flaxseed helps with the texture of the bread. It can be substituted with chia seed or even whole psyllium husk if needed.
- Oats - Oats a wonderful hearty consistency. Make sure your oats are certified gluten-free, like the ones from Bob's Red Mill. Use rolled or quick oats.
- Granulated sugar - Regular white sugar was used in this recipe. You may use a sugar substitute like Swerve sweetener or coconut sugar if desired.
- Cinnamon - Cinnamon adds a wonderful flavor profile to the bread, I would not recommend substituting it.
- Baking soda - The "soda" in our gluten free Irish soda bread is used as the leavening agent. So that tall rise is actually baking soda.
- Salt - Contributes to the flavor profile and one of the 'homemade bread' essentials!
- Raisins or cranberries - I use dried cranberries but regular or golden raisins are amazing as well.
- Wondering where to find dairy free buttermilk? This recipe was tested with a homemade dairy free buttermilk, It's easily made with distilled white vinegar and almond milk. Coconut milk or another non-dairy milk and lemon juice would work as well. Follow this link to make buttermilk.
- Egg - The egg is used for brushing on the top of the dough before baking. It can be omitted.
Exact measurements and instructions for making this gluten free Irish soda bread recipe are in the recipe card below.
If you need to substitute a flour or starch, reference this flour chart. The recipe has only been tested with the flours in the recipe so I can't be certain of the results of other flours.
How to Make Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Will anyone who doesn't want to pull out their big stand mixer please say "I"?
I hear ya!
Just a large bowl, a medium bowl, and a large spoon is all you need to mix up this bread dough.
STEP ONE: Mix the first part of the dry ingredients in a large bowl - potato flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, sweet rice flour and sorghum flour. Add in the raisins and mix them in with the flours.
STEP TWO: Mix the next part of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl - oats, flax seed, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
STEP THREE: Add the oat mixture to the large bowl of flours and stir together. Then add the wet ingredients (buttermilk) to the center of the dry ingredients in the large bowl and stir. It will look like a huge bowl of thin oatmeal.
STEP FOUR: Stir the dough for about 2 minutes. Use a wooden spoon if it gets too difficult to stir.
STEP FIVE: The end result will be a dough that holds it shape, but it won't smooth like yeast breads.
Shaping & Baking the Large Loaf
STEP SIX: Shape the dough into a round loaf about 3 inches in height and 10 inches in diameter. This is best done directly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Using a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top of the bread dough. And then brush it with the beaten egg. The top should be mostly smooth but slightly imperfect - it won't be that super smooth dough you'd expect from a yeast bread (even these yeast dinner rolls aren't perfectly smooth though!) - there will be ridges and little spots in it and that's ok.
STEP SEVEN: Bake the loaf at 375F for 50-60 minutes or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and you hear a hollow sound when you thump it.
STEP EIGHT: Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing it. Use a serrated knife and slice the round loaf into 8-10 pieces.
Texture of this Lightly Sweet Quick Bread
Because it's a quick bread, it's not on the chewy side, like you'd expect with a yeast bread, instead this bread is very similar in texture to this tender brown bread or this pumpkin bread. A somewhat dense bread, but perfect with a cup of tea or alongside corned beef.
Storage Tips
Baked Irish soda bread should be enjoyed within 2 days. It should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Any longer than two days and it can be wrapped well and frozen for longer storage. The loaf may be defrosted and warmed by wrapping it in foil and placing it in a 350F oven for 20 minutes. Warming time may vary, please check the loaf.
Alternatively, slice the entire loaf and place pieces of wax paper in between each slice. Place the entire loaf in a plastic bag and place the bag in the freezer. Then remove each slice and toast as needed.
Pro Tips for Gluten Free Soda Bread
1. Measure ingredients by weight
If you've taken my baking masterclass, you've seen me talk about measuring ingredients. Baking, and in particular gluten free baking, relies on accuracy for the absolute best results. In fact, even one teaspoon more or less of flour can completely change the texture of a bread. It's vitally important to measure ingredients by weight. I guarantee you'll have better results with breads and gluten free baked goods if you do!
2. Room temperature ingredients
All ingredients for this bread should be at room temperature. This incudes flours and starches too, if you store those in the refrigerator.
For a quick way to bring an egg to room temperature: heat a ½ cup water in a microwave safe, glass measuring cup. Then float a whole egg in the water for anywhere from 1 minute to 5 minutes, depending on the temperature of the water. Quick, room temperature egg!
3. Mix the batter well
Since this recipe doesn't require a mixer, just some good ol' fashioned arm mixing, you'll want to be sure to mix it well. Use a sturdy spoon and mix the batter for about 2 minutes.
FAQs
Possibly, but the recipe has only been tested with the flours referenced below. But here's a handy flour substitution chart if you'd like to try.
The sugar may be substituted with a sugar alternative or it can be omitted without any additional changes.
The best soda bread is enjoyed the same day. However, if you'd like to store it for serving later, slice the entire loaf and place pieces of wax paper in between each slice. Place the entire loaf in a plastic bag and place the bag in the freezer. Then remove each slice and toast as needed.
The flax seeds contribute to the texture of the bread. And alternative to them would be ground chia seeds.
More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
You must use the category name, not a URL, in the category field.Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review and 
rating below! And make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook too!
Recipe
Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease the baking sheet with butter and dust lightly with sweet rice flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the potato flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, sweet rice flour and sorghum flour. Add in the raisins and mix them in with the flours.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flaxseed, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add it to the flours and mix well.
- Add the buttermilk to this dry mixture and mix until the dough is moist and fully mixed.
- Scrape the dough onto the baking sheet and shape it until it is round and about 3 inches thick. With a knife, cut a deep cross into the top of the bread. Whisk together the egg and the water and brush it evenly on the top of the bread.
- Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is a dark brown and you hear a hollow thump when you tap it.
Video
Notes
- The bread dough will look more like thick batter than bread dough
- Use a rubber spatula to pat the dough into a 10 inch circle
- Cool the bread on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack
To follow up on my latest comment….
This won’t deter me from having a go at other delicious recipes you so kindly published on your website and infom us about in the newsletter. I mainly wanted to report back on my failure and its nevertheless quite pleasant result so that other bakers who might end up with an overly thin batter don’t be tempted to throw it in the sink but continue with the process as best as they can and savour the result of their work. It’s probably dryer than the intended bread, but i wrapped mine in a damp towel after it had cooled down and that made a big difference.
Well… it was not a success! Way way too liquidy. I added 3/8 cup of GF flour mix, but it remained too thin to shape, cut a cross or brush the “top” with an egg. I literally poured the batter into a round cake pan and wished for the best. It eventually baked into a solid form, which i would describe more as a cake than a bread. Flavourful but a far cry from a traditional soda bread as i remember it.
Hi Johanne,
Oh goodness, that does not sound right - let's see, did you measure the ingredients by weight where weight was given? It's roughly 3.5 cups dry ingredients to 2 cups wet, which is adequate so that it should not be runny.
Let me know as it should definitely be able to be shaped.
Christine
Good morning Christine! Would plain white or brown rice flour work in this recipe? I’ve never seen sweet rice flour in town.
And do the flax seeds need to be grounded or used whole?
Hi Johanne,
You can use either ground or whole flax seeds in this recipe. And I wouldn't recommend using white or brown rice flour in place of the sweet rice as they are completely different flours. I have a post on it here https://zestforbaking.com/sweet-rice-flour-substitutes - try using a gluten free flour mix in place of it. Or use the tapioca starch option.
Christine 🙂
Thank you Christine! After sending my message, i found your page on sweet rice substitute . Very complete information. Thank you!
Hi Christine,
The daughter who needs gluten free also needs to be flax free (and dairy free but that's much easier). Whould you suggest chia seeds as a substitute?
Thanks for all you recipies and tips. Much appreciated.
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
Yes, chia seeds would be an excellent substitute for the flax.
Christine
Hi Christine,
Let me 1st tell you that I really appreciate your recipes and have recommended them to many friends. Thanks.
I am trying the Irish Soda bread for the 1st time. 2 questions:
1) Potato flour, hmm, I only can purchase potato starch and I know the 2 are quite different. I checked your substitute flour page and it said:
"What about with potato flour? Arrowroot starch is actually the closest." This confused me because potato flour is not a starch OR is it?
2) dairy-free buttermilk: I made 2 cups of homemade almond butter milk: I added 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar (this recipe was from another website)
Result: the batter was too thin ... so homemade almond butter milk likely too thin... any recommendations?
So... I added some more flour, yikes, but the batter was still too thin and couldn't be shaped, so I opted to bake it in a large bread pan... I will let you know the results... lol.
Thanks for your help,
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
Thank you for the kind words!
So let's see, for 1. potato flour is not a starch you are right, but if you reference this flour substitution chart, https://zestforbaking.com/guide-to-gluten-free-flour-substitutes arrowroot is actually quite close in make-up to potato flour.
And then for 2. so I have also had success using dairy free sour cream for this recipe. I haven't added this to the recipe yet as it was a brand new test, so you are the first, but it does work as a replacement for the buttermilk, just use 2 cups - same measurement. And to answer your question on the buttermilk - Dairy free buttermilk is still thin, but should be a little thicker than what you describe. Maybe adding another Tablespoon of vinegar and letting it sit for at least 5 minutes will help, if you opt to try the buttermilk version again.
Hope this helps!
Christine
Is there a need to use "light" buckwheat flour or is regular buckwheat flour ok? Will it affect the final result? I'm having a tough time sourcing the light one that is GF (not shared equipment).
Hi Valerie,
So regular buckwheat should be fine too. This is the one I use and recommend though https://amzn.to/3NvT3DQ
Just make sure to measure by weight.
Let me know if you think of anything else.
Thanks,
Christine
Hi. Can you suggest anything to replace the rice flour. I can't eat rice at all. Perhaps a little more sorghum flour and the rest tapioca? I know it's hard, but I would love to make it. Thank you.
Hi Alene,
Thanks for asking - so go ahead and try adding 40 more grams sorghum and 45 grams of tapioca flour - I'd be curious to know how this turns out.
~Christine
This looks great! I’m looking forward to trying it but have a question regarding “light buckwheat flour”. I’ve noticed you’ve recommended it before but all I ever see for sale is standard buckwheat flour; can you please comment? Thanks!
The recipe says "potato flour". Is that potato starch flour or potato flour? I know that they are not the same. I only have potato starch flour at this time, but I'll get potato flour if I need to.
Hi Vickie,
So, it is potato flour. Hope you enjoy it!
~Christine
Can I use a vegan substitute for the butter milk - plant milk soured with vinegar? Thanks.
Hi Nikki,
I haven't used it, but I bet it would probably work out pretty well.
Hope that helps!
Christine
What can u use besides oats and sweet rice flour??
Hi Veronica,
Oats and sweet rice flour are essentials in the recipe, so I'm not sure which substitutions I'd suggest that would result in the same loaf.
Sorry I have no suggestions.
Christine