This vegan Irish soda bread recipe is fast, easy and delicious.  It’s made with a mixture of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour and vegan buttermilk.  This soda bread is dense, chewy, with a crunchy crust and slightly sweet taste.  The perfect St. Patty’s Day recipe.  Linking up with Deborah and Sarah for Meatless Monday. 

It’s been a while since I’ve binge watched a TV show.  With all the training I’ve been doing, the coaching, the recipe testing, I just haven’t had time. But with that being said, on the snow day we had a few weeks ago I pulled up Netflix, ready to be all cozy and not leave my couch.  The top recommendation for me was the Great British Baking Show.  Baking and British accents?? YES PLEASE!

Four seasons later, I quickly grew to love the show and the two judges, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry.  They come up with devilish challenges for the bakers, but they are WAY nicer than any judge on an American show.  Since Paul is the “Bread Guy,” the majority of the bakes are of bread.  I’ve been on a bread kick lately (check out my caramelized shallot and rosemary focaccia recipe from last month), so the show only served to extend that trend.  With St. Patty’s Day coming up, I thought I would make vegan Irish soda bread recipe.

There’s a lot of Irish heritage on both my mom and dad’s side.  While some people think of green beer or corned beef & cabbage on St. Patty’s Day, I’ve always been about the Irish soda bread.  Carbs, duh.  Fun fact: when I was a kid, I used to think that soda bread was made with actual soda.  Now THAT was a terrible kitchen experiment.

In actuality, the ingredients for Irish soda bread are just flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.  Minimal ingredients mean that this bread can me mixed, baked and on the table in less than an hour.  Perfect recipe for the middle of ultra marathon training!  The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to leaven the bread.  That’s great because that means you don’t have to wait for yeast to activate and rise, but it’s bad because that means traditional Irish soda bread is not vegan.

Luckily, it’s easy to made a vegan Irish soda bread.  Just create vegan buttermilk with almond milk and apple cider vinegar.  Replace the buttermilk with the vegan buttermilk in the same ratio and continue with the recipe as written.  Easy peasy!

Vegan Irish soda bread is a crusty bread, with a dense yet tender center.  The plump raisins add just enough sweetness to this bread.  It’s great on its own, with some jam, or with a buttery vegan spread.

What’s your favorite St. Patrick’s Day recipe? Are you a carb lover like me?  If you try this recipe, let me know!  Rate it, leave a comment, take a picture and tag @Rabbitfoodruns on Instagram.  I’d love to see how you enjoy your vegan Irish soda bread creations!   

Buen provecho,

Becca

Print Recipe

Vegan Irish Soda Bread

Course

Side Dish

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup (150 g) raisins, optional

Course Side Dish Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings slices Ingredients 2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour 2 cups unsweetened almond milk 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp sea salt 1 cup (150 g) raisins, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place a sheet pan in the bottom rack. If making the soda bread in a cast iron skillet, place that in the oven to heat up too.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes to form a vegan buttermilk.

   
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the middle and add in the vegan buttermilk. Gently fold in the buttermilk with the flours, until a shaggy, sticky dough begins to form. Add in the raisins and continue to gently fold the mixture until a smooth ball forms.

   
4. If using a cast iron skillet, remove it from the oven. Grease a baking sheet or skillet and gently shape the dough into a ball in the center. No kneading required. Cut a deep X in the dough, dividing it into quarters.
5. Place bread in the oven and pour ~1 cup of water into the sheet pan on the bottom rack to create steam. Quickly shut the oven door. Bake at 425ºF for 40 minutes, or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
6. Remove and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm as is, with jam or vegan butter.

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Vegan Irish Soda Bread