No food is more universally loved on St. Patty’s Day than Irish Soda Bread. My gluten free Irish Soda Bread recipe takes the best of cake-style fruited soda bread called “Treacle,” and makes it gluten, dairy, soy, nut, egg and of course, yeast free!
The added flavor from gluten free beer kicks this recipe up a notch from typically bland and often dry soda breads, as well (feel free to use gingerale instead). Follow my directions below to fashion your own homemade Dutch oven, and you’ll be baking this modern version the old-fashioned way, with delicious results!
This delicious gluten free Irish Soda Bread is too good to save it just for St. Patty’s Day! Slather it with apple butter or peanut butter or make a sandwich with it anytime!
(Recipe was featured by The Washingtonian Magazine)
Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups gfJules ™ All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal (or gfJules Flour)
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. granulated cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. cardamom
- 1/2 cup baking raisins or sultanas (or boil raisins in water, drain, then add to the recipe)
- 2 Tbs. dark (Black Strap) molasses
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt, like coconut, almond, soy or dairy yogurt (I used So Delicious® Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt)
- 3/4 cup gluten-free beer, gingerale, club soda or Perrier (I used Green’s Tripel Blonde Ale - look for vegan beers like Green’s if baking egg-free)
- milk of choice to brush on top of dough (dairy or non-dairy)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F (static) or 350° F (convection).
In a large food processor (or if using a mixing bowl, use a pastry cutter or large slotted spoon) mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add the molasses, apple cider vinegar and yogurt, stirring together until the dough is raggedy and dry, but mixed. Gradually add the beer and raisins until it holds together in a ball shape.
Roll the ball in a light coating of gfJules™ All Purpose Flour and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush, then brush the dough with a thin coating of your favorite milk (dairy or non-dairy).
Using a sharp knife, make a criss-cross cut into the top of the dome, pressing down with the knife approximately 1/4 inch without pulling the dough. Rock the knife back and forth slightly to open up the cuts and allow the bread to rise in those directions. Cover the bread with a deep pot that will allow the bread to rise up and out without touching the sides of the pot (this will create a mock Dutch Oven) and place in the preheated oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325° F (static) or 300° F (convection) for approximately 30 more minutes, then remove the top pan. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until cooked through (test with a wooden skewer inserted into the center or knock on the bottom, listening for a hollow sound).
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. To store, wrap in a tea towel then place in a zip-top bag. The towel will help to keep the bread moist and soften the crust a bit.
Based on 2 Review(s)
Would this Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread recipe work in a bread machine?
Thanks
Sandra (*.*)~~
It will, but you’ll want to skip the rising step since there’s no yeast. Check it periodically to be sure it’s not over-cooking, as well. It should bake for approximately the same amount of time, but just no rise time. Enjoy!
~jules
Hi, the one question I had was the one that was not replied to in this list, from March 15, 2013, about whether you could use a cast iron dutch oven pot and lid (e.g. 5 qt), lined with parchment paper, instead of putting it on a tray and covering with a flipped dutch pot? Thanks!
Oh yes, Sue! That’s definitely another great way of baking this bread!
~jules
Can I use a kitchen aid mixer to to mix it all. I don’t have a food processor. Would you use the hook or paddle to mix it?
Hi Jen, I would use the paddle (I made the recipe again last night with my stand mixer and paddle — worked great!). I don’t find that the dough hook gets it mixed as well. Enjoy the recipe!
Doesn’t beer have yeast? I want to try some more gluten free recipes and this looks interesting. Perhaps I would have to use gingerale…yeast free? Also, thank you…I didn’t know there was coconut yogurt. Have to try to find that.
Hi Candy – if you are sensitive to yeast, definitely avoid beer! You could use gingerale if you can tolerate that. Glad the coconut yogurt tip will be helpful for you!
Hi Jules. Greetings from sunny South Africa. I really would love to try some of your recipes but to order your mixes is not an option unless you have an outlet in South Africa. If i were to purchase some of your recipe books would I find recipes for your flour mixes in them? Look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards. Monica.
Hi Monica, I’m sorry that at this time we don’t have distribution outside of the US. However, I DO offer several solid gluten-free flour blend recipes in my books! Here’s the link – I think you should be able to find most of these ingredients (I give several options, particularly in my book, Free For All Cooking).
what size dutch oven (qt)?
The Dutch Oven or pot needs to be wide enough to cover your ball of dough, and approximately twice as tall.
Jules, Would baking this soda in a covered dutch oven (cast iron) work? I was thinking of lining bottom with parchment and proceeding from there, covering with lid and baking.
Hi Jules. I don’t have a pot big enough to cover it. Will it work without one?
Susan, I’d suggest loosely wrapping the loaf with foil if you’re not using a pot. You don’t want the crust to get too overcooked, and the steam will help it to stay soft. Hope that helps!