Easy Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread Recipe. Made with gluten-free flour, buttermilk, an egg, and a little sugar. Raisins and caraway seeds optional!
Years ago I created a recipe for gluten-free Irish Soda bread. I love that recipe. Many other folks love that recipe. So why am I posting a new take on this classic?
Two reasons: the pan and the flour.
That recipe calls for a springform pan—which is great if you own one. However, if you don’t, it’s silly to buy one to make a simple loaf of Irish soda bread. This recipe only requires a sheet pan and a piece of parchment paper.
Now, about the flour. Gluten-free flour is always an interesting topic. Years ago when I started sharing gluten-free recipes, gluten-free flour blends were hard to find. Good gluten-free flour blends were even harder to find. That isn’t the case today. There are many good blends on the market. And while they all behave differently, there are several that work very well.
For this soda bread, I used my favorite blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. (Not sponsored. I just like the blend.) If you prefer to use your own blend, use it in place of the flour called for in this recipe. The only thing you don’t want to do is replace the flour with a nut flour. That won’t work.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make! No special pan needed.
- Delicate texture.
- Not-too-sweet flavor.
- Great plain or with raisins or caraway seeds.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Easy Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
Gluten-Free Flour. A gluten-free flour blend works great in this easy bread. The recipe was developed with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. If you use a gluten-free flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum to the recipe.
Granulated Sugar. Adds a little sweetness.
Baking Soda. This is what puts the “soda” in “soda bread.” It’s leavened with baking soda, not yeast. This means you can make and bake this bread in under an hour.
Baking Powder. For the best result, this recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda. The combination really improves the texture of the bread.
Salt. Enhances flavor. Don’t skip it!
Butter. Gives the soda bread flavor and richness.
Buttermilk. This is one of the star ingredients. The buttermilk helps bring all the ingredients together and adds great flavor. Plus, when combined with the baking soda, it helps the bread to rise.
Raisins. Totally optional! This is American-style Irish soda bread. It contains both raisins and caraway seeds. Feel free to use both or…skip both. It’s up to you.
Caraway Seeds. Not only do these add flavor. They add a little crunch. (and they are totally optional!)
How to Make Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
- Cut cold butter into the flour. Think of Irish soda bread like a giant scone or biscuit. The dough is nothing like gluten-free sandwich bread. At all. First, it doesn’t contain yeast. It’s leavened by baking soda, hence the name “soda bread.” Second, you start by cutting cold fat, in this case, butter, into flour. To do this, use a pastry cutter or your hands until no large pieces of butter remain. If you want to use your hands, work the butter into the flour by using a snapping or rubbing motion.
- Stir in Raisins and Caraway Seeds. Once you’ve cut in the butter, add the raisins and caraway seeds. Traditional Irish soda bread contains neither of these ingredients but the American take on soda bread does—along with a hint of sugar. If you don’t like caraway or raisins, feel free to omit them. The recipe works just fine without them.
- Add buttermilk—and an egg. Another ingredient that traditional soda bread doesn’t include is an egg. When I tested this recipe without the egg, it baked up dense and heavy. Adding just one egg to the batter solved this problem. (If you’re egg-free, you can omit the egg. Increase the buttermilk by a tablespoon or two and expect a loaf that doesn’t rise as high.)
- Shape. Turn the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat into a round loaf, about 10-inches across. Then, using a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top of the loaf. This allows steam to escape and helps the loaf cook evenly.
- Bake. It feels like this loaf takes forever to bake. ForEVER. Check it after 45 minutes. Gently press on the center. It should feel firm, not doughy. If the top of the loaf browns before the center bakes, cover it with foil Once the loaf cools a bit, cut with a serrated knife. It has a delicate texture and mild, sweet taste.
Easy Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
Easy Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread Recipe. Made with gluten-free flour, buttermilk, an egg, and a little sugar. Raisins and caraway seeds optional!
Ingredients
- 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend, (see note) (15 ounces / 425 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (2 ½ ounces / 70 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 4 pieces (2 ounces / 56 grams)
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 cup buttermilk, plus additional as needed (8 ounces / 226 grams)
- 1 large egg, whisked (about 2 ounces / 56 grams out of shell)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Whisk together gluten-free flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until no large pieces of butter remain.
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Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Add buttermilk and egg. Stir until a dough forms. If the dough seems dry, add additional buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time until dough holds together.
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Pat dough into a round. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.
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Bake until center is set and loaf is golden brown, about 45 minutes. If loaf gets too dark before the center is baked, cover with foil. Store leftover bread on the counter. Loaf keeps for only one day.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-Free Flour
Replacing the gluten-free flour with a different flour can change the texture of the bread. If your mix does not include xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon to the flour blend and whisk together with the flour before using.
Sharon says
What can I sub for the buttermilk? I am also lactose intolerant. WOULD LACTOSE FREE YOGURT WORK..
Elizabeth says
I think yogurt would work. It’s much thicker. So you might need to add a splash of water to get the dough to the right consistency.
James says
yogurt with a bit of water also works if you just can’t find buttermilk easily
Barb McKean says
Will the recipe work without the sugar?
Ellen says
Oh, please. I apologize for not being nothing but positive, but the English language is precious to me, and it is being devastated these days.
Excuse me for correcting you, but you do not mean to
This is what you said. “If you prefer to use your own blend, replace it with the flour called for in this recipe.” That means to use what the recipe calls for rather than to use your own blend. If you want to use your blend instead of the one in the recipe, instead of Bob’s Red Mill (or whatever it is called; I am sorry I don’t remember), you might say, instead, “If you prefer to use your own blend, just substitute it for the blend called for in the recipe.”
Honestly, I cannot understand where this calling for the opposite has come from, but it is everywhere. People get the “substitute this for that” literally backwards. What you substitute for something else is what YOU USE instead of that something else, not vice versa. (And yes, I am an actual writer/editor/proofreader.)
Elizabeth says
Ellen,
“And yes, I am an actual writer/editor/proofreader.”
Then you know that pointing out mistakes, typos, and sentences that lack clarity is usually done succinctly and with professional kindness. Good editors don’t include a rant about the current state of the English language; nor do they imply the writer is an idiot. You did both.
But, hey, thanks. As someone who is also an actual writer (three cookbooks and TWO blogs!), I appreciate copyediting. The sentence has been updated.
Ellen says
Sorry I cannot figure out how to edit my above comment, as it has an obvious big error in it. I assumed, which is stupid, that one could correct comments after writing them. But if that is the case, I cannot find out how to do that.
Nick says
Ellen,it cannot be fun being you.
Elizabeth says
I believe that’s called “Muphry’s law”.
Seth says
You pointed out the similarity between scones and soda bread. This got me thinking that maybe I could divide the dough into smaller, scone-sized, mini-loaves for meal-prepping. Then each meal-prepped dish of shepherds pie could have its own little soda bread biscuit. Have you tried this? What cook time would you recommend if someone were going to experiment a bit with it? I’d appreciate any suggestions and I’m happy to let you know how it goes.
Elizabeth says
I haven’t tried this but I think it would work great!
Joanna Meyerstein says
Nice recipe, thanks. You said the bread only keeps for 1 day. Is it possible to freeze?
Elizabeth says
It is! Let the bread cool and then store it in a freezer bag.
Judy Warren says
My adult son has switched to gluten free recently. I’m making this bread for the first time today (for a late St. Patrick’s Day celebration). It smells delicious. Hoping it turns out well. Very easy to make. Thank you for posting this recipe. Giving 5 stars for ease of making. With any luck, my son will give it 5 stars when he tries it.