Vegan Irish Soda Bread is an accessible, dairy-free version of the classic quick bread! It requires direct food ingredients and is easy to make – no kneading or yeast required.

I may have trouble cooking, but I won’t have trouble eating soda bread!

Of course, I’m not. Soda bread is famously simple and low-pressure. There is no need for much kneading, yeast, or fermentation time, and the starter to stay active. Just flour, baking soda, salt, butter, and vegan “buttermilk.” Add some raisins or currants for a bit of sweetness.

Soda bread is also easy to form. There are more or less complex ways to do this. I usually turn mine into a rustic mound, cut a rough “X” shape at the top, and call it a day.

When baked, the soda bread is soft and dense, crispy brown on the outside, and has a mild, buttery sweetness. It makes a delicious breakfast for St. Patrick’s Day (especially with some extra vegetarian buttah) or a lovely tea-time snack.

What the hell is soda bread?

Soda bread is a quick bread leavened with baking soda. Because it uses chemical fermentation (as opposed to the biological fermentation found in fermented bread), it’s fast and easy to make.

Soda bread can be baked on a pan, like flatbread, or made into a loaf. Recipes for soda bread call for a variety of flours, liquids (yogurt, buttermilk, etc.), and mixes.

It’s the vegetarian version of Irish soda bread. This week, it’s a nod to St. Patrick’s Day, and Irish soda bread is the soda bread I’m most familiar with. (There are also Scottish, Serbian, and Australian versions.)

The ingredients for this bread and most Irish soda bread are simple. Dried fruit (raisins or currants), which I like to add, is optional. But it does give the bread an extra sweetness and texture.

How to make vegetarian Irish soda bread

Preparing this vegan Irish soda bread is similar to making cookies or scones. You cut vegan butter into flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, you moisturize everything with vegan “buttermilk” – a mixture of milk and vinegar.

The wet and dry ingredients make a sticky, fluffy dough. You don’t need to knead it that much; fold it in with your hands a few times.

Now, you want to make the soda bread a rustic round bread. It’s okay to be asymmetrical and a little messy – soda bread is often just that! Then bake the bread until it is a beautiful deep golden brown.

Soda bread topping

I almost always have everything I need to make vegan Irish soda bread in my fridge and pantry.

flour

Unbleached all-purpose flour is my go-to for soda bread. After reading some soda bread recipes that call for using light gluten flour, I’ve also tried making soda bread with whole wheat pastry flour.

Medium-gluten flour gives the bread the perfect crumb: buttery and moist. Try replacing wheat flour with partial flour, but remember that the bread may become denser or drier.

Cane sugar

This recipe calls for only four tablespoons of sugar. Soda bread is meant to be only slightly sweet. Coconut sugar is my favorite sugar substitute, although it can darken the color of baked goods!

Baking soda

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a substance that helps bread swell. It doesn’t “rise” like leavened bread but swells well thanks to chemical fermentation.

salt

Soda bread should be slightly sweet, but you should also taste the salt. I use kosher salt.

Vegetarian butter

You can use any vegan butter you like. I find it easier to cut butter on a stick. If you don’t have vegan butter at home, try using cold or solid coconut oil instead.

Vegetarian skimmed milk

Making vegan “buttermilk” at home is easy! The trick is to mix freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar with non-dairy milk and let it sit for a few minutes. At this point, “buttermilk” can be added to the recipe.

To make vegan Irish soda bread, I use 1.5 cups of non-dairy milk and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Raisins or currants

It’s optional but delightful. You can omit the dried fruit if you want plain soda bread.

Vegetarian Irish soda bread

Irish soda bread is cute on its own. If you’re eating it hot, fresh out of the oven, you don’t need a topping or spread. It’s soft and perfect on its own.

I usually add some extra vegan butter or a little jam when I eat leftovers.

Since soda bread is not too sweet, you can eat a slice or two with a delicious soup. In the winter, I love to serve it with potato and leek soup.

How long can I keep leftovers?

Irish soda bread will be kept for four days. If you plan to store it longer, you can freeze the bread for up to four weeks.

I keep the soda bread at room temperature and prefer to wrap it or put it in an airtight container. The crust will lose some of its crunch, but sealing the bread like this will keep the rest of the bread moist.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegan buttermilk (1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, set aside for at least 5 minutes before using)

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (480g)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup sucrose (48 g)

One and a half teaspoons of kosher salt

5 TBSP vegan butter, cooled and cut into cubes (70g)

A cup of raisins or currants

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare vegan buttermilk.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Use a pastry knife or your fingers to mix the butter and flour as you would for pie crust or cookies. Stop when the butter is about the size of peas.
4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. Use your hands or a spatula to make a sticky dough. You can shape and fold a few times, but you don’t need to knead—you don’t want to over-knead. Add raisins or raisins if desired.
5. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Using floured hands, gently shape the dough into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper. Mark the top in an X shape.
6. Transfer the parchment paper and dough to a baking sheet or cast iron skillet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the bread turns golden brown. Enjoy!

Irish soda bread was the first recipe I shared on Instagram last March while in quarantine. A year ago, St. Patrick’s Day coincided with the beginning of the lockdown.

I remember being glad I had something simple and comfortable to share, which might not make people run to the grocery store unnecessarily.

A year later, the shopping trip wasn’t so scary. Fear, uncertainty, and sudden isolation have lessened. But my need for comfort and simple food is almost as strong today as a year ago.

Soda bread again. I hope this recipe gets you in the mood to bake. I hope cutting fresh, warm slices of bread gives you as much joy and comfort as I do.