Delicious, crusty wholemeal bread in under 40 minutes? Yes it is possible! My Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread is amazing warm from the oven and perfect with soups and salads, or for taking on a picnic.
I really love soda bread. I like normal bread too, and I know it’s not that hard to make (as a kid my mum used to make homemade bread several times a week and I helped a lot!), but it is time consuming and, to tell the truth, I’m not the world’s biggest fan of kneading – I just don’t have the patience for it!
Soda bread, on the other hand, can be made in less than the time it takes normal bread to rise and involves NO KNEADING!!
The particular joy of soda bread is the large and very crusty crust – if you love crusty bread, you will LOVE soda bread!
It is perfect for popping in the oven with a stew, or making to go with soups or salads, or why not whip up a loaf of this Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread and take it on your next picnic? It’s also gorgeous with a little supper platter of cold meats, cheeses and olives (one of my all time favourite meals!). And if you do have any left the next day, it makes fabulous toast for breakfast!
I made this Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread to go with my Creamy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, which I shared earlier this week, and it is a simply divine combination – plus it is a doddle to make the two together.
Simply make the bread and pop it in the oven, then get on with the soup. Pop the vegetables in the oven to roast and then you’ll have a good half an hour to read a book, drink a glass of wine or paint your nails (or, in real life, sort the kids/dog/cat out, do a load of laundry, answer your 57 new emails…), and then just remove the bread from the oven, finish off the soup in the blender and voila – a healthy homemade meal without the hassle…and all in under an hour!
Help – I can’t find buttermilk! What can I use instead?
Soda bread is not made with yeast, but rather it is traditionally made with buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda, (AKA baking soda) which help it rise (though not quite as much as a conventional loaf). Both buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda are usually readily from supermarkets these days, but if you are having trouble tracking down buttermilk, use 200ml / 7oz regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar also work) stirred into the milk to sour it…it will work just fine! Alternatively you can use natural yogurt in place of the buttermilk.
What about if I want to make this soda bread dairy free?
If you need this to be dairy free or vegan simply use your regular dairy free milk instead of the buttermilk, plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Or check out my recipe for No Buttermilk Soda Bread (Vegan & Dairy Free).
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 350 g wholemeal flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (see notes)
- 285 ml buttermilk (for alternatives see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C / gas mark 7 / 425F. Dust a baking tray (I actually use a pizza tray) with a little plain flour.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly. Tip in the buttermilk and stir to combine.
- Keep stirring until the ingredients come together as a dough, then squidge together to form a ball.
- Place the ball of dough on your baking tray and cut a deep cross in the centre. This is really important as it helps the centre of the bread to cook properly – so cut nice and deep, almost to the bottom.
- If you wish, you can dust the loaf with a little flour, then place the bread in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve with soup, salad, or cheese, olives and cold meats.
Notes
- Instead of buttermilk you can use 200ml / 7oz regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar stirred in to sour it. Alternatively you can use natural yogurt.
- You can make this recipe dairy free / vegan by using dairy free milk instead of regular milk, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Baking soda is the same as bicarbonate of soda, however it is not the same as baking powder. Make sure you use baking soda/bicarbonate of soda in this recipe. Baking powder will not give the same result!
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Monika Dabrowski says
This is my kind of bread – hearty and crusty and easy to make! Pinned:) #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Monika – totally agree. Hearty and crusty, easy to make bread is the best!! Eb x
Jenny Paulin says
yummy – I love how easy soda bread is to make and that it can be made so quickly. That soup looks delicious too – I will pop over to take a look x
Eb Gargano says
Me too – it’s great being able to have fresh bread in just 40 minutes!! Eb x
Sue says
I add a hand ful of mixed seeds sonetimes – really adds to it!
Eb Gargano says
Yes! Me too, sometimes. Such a great addition. I love how adaptable soda bread is 😀
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Mmmmmm….. (scratches head!) Wonder if this would work gluten free? What is the crumb like?? x
Eb Gargano says
I can imagine it would work well gluten free…it’s quite dense and chewy with a very crusty crust. Eb x
Toni says
I’ve made this a couple of times now and it’s AMAZING!!!
I even tried cutting the recipe in half because sometimes a full loaf is too much for 2, I cut the recipe in half and it was just as good.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe
Eb Gargano says
Yaaay! I am o happy to hear that. Delighted you like it so much and thank you for taking the time to let me know and especially for the 5* rating! Eb 🙂
Margaret says
Cut it into slices and freeze it. Bread toasts well from frozen.
Eb Gargano says
Such a great tip! I do that too 😀
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love to make bread and soda bread is a great quick, go to loaf. This looks and sounds delicious, perfect with soup! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
It is definitely my quick and easy go to loaf. I do love ‘proper’ bread, but so often find I just don’t have the time – this is great as it can be ready in just 40 minutes! Eb x
Tooting Mama says
I’m dying to make my own bread, I just have got round to it, this is making me feel inspired! Thanks #brillblogposts
Eb Gargano says
Thanks – it’s lovely making your own bread, but I often don’t have time – this soda bread is great when you want fresh bread in a hurry!! Eb x
jemma says
hi is this plain (ap flour) or self raising? thanks
Eb Gargano says
Hi Jemma. I use plain wholemeal flour in this recipe. You can also use wholemeal bread flour, if you prefer. Hope you enjoy it! Eb 🙂
Claudia Trimboli says
Hi there can I use wholemeal self raising flour.
Claudia
Eb Gargano says
Hi Claudia, I am afraid not. Well, you can – it will be edible, but it won’t taste like bread… more like a giant scone! Eb ?
Ben C says
Could this be made with buckwheat flour rather than wholemeal? In these crazy times, I’m struggling to get wholemeal flour, but have buckwheat flour in the pantry.
Eb Gargano says
Oh, I am sorry to hear that, Ben – yes crazy times indeed! I’ve never tried making soda bread with buckwheat flour, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. I’ve tried lots of different flours in soda bread and it’s always turned out great. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes! Eb 🙂
Ben Carruthers says
Thank you for the reply. I’ve actually managed to get hold of some wholemeal flour. I’m making it tomorrow to have with olives, cheese and a selection of salamis.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that. It’s so hard to get flour right now, isn’t it? I just used up the last of my plain flour yesterday *sob* Hope you enjoy the bread – love the sound of olives, cheese and salami to go with it – YUM! Eb 🙂
Andrew Shulman says
Can you make the dough ahead of time and rest it a couple of hours before baking?
Eb Gargano says
I can’t be 100% sure, Andrew, as I have never tried… the beauty of soda bread is that is doesn’t need resting/proving. But I can’t imagine it would do any harm! Let us know what happens if you try… Eb 🙂
Jenny White says
You need to get soda bread into oven preferably within 3 minutes of making as the buttermilk and bicarbonate interact and will then not rise.
Cicely-Lisa Duah-Agyeman says
Brilliant recipe!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! So happy to hear that. Eb x
martin southgate says
first time making soda bread recipe quick and easy and the bread is nice with soup
Eb Gargano says
Yay! Thank you for this lovely feedback, Martin – I am so happy to hear that! Eb 🙂
Noel O'Sullivan says
This bread is so simple to bake. Thanks for making the instructions available to us, ( I like how the servings size can be adjusted from 1 Slice to 20 at the touch of the slider. ) Had my first loaf today with a vegetable soup, Yum Yum. Sincere Thanks.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Noel – I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for this lovely feedback 😀
Carolin says
My first ever attempt at making soda bread and it turned out great! Used milk and white wine vinegar instead of buttermilk. Making this with wholemeal flour only though, we found it rather heavy on the stomach and harder to digest (may just be too different from our usual diet). Can I also use 50/50 wholemeal & plain flour without adjusting anything else in the recipe? Thanks!
Eb Gargano says
Hi Carolin, good to hear it turned out so well for you. Yes, you can absolutely use half wholemeal and half plain flour – this combination works brilliantly. Eb 🙂
Sara Nicotera says
Really is quick and easy and loved it!!! Made it with self raising wholemeal flour, added sunflower, pepita and hemp seeds.
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this so much. And I love the idea of adding seeds 😀 Thanks for taking the time to let me know and thank especially for the 5 stars! Eb 🙂
Toby says
Love this recipe! I’ve followed it plenty of times now and always add about 80g walnuts to the the mix and it turns out perfectly! In fact, I’ll be making a few more batches tonight…
Thanks for sharing it!
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy that you like this recipe so much – and love your idea of adding walnuts! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review – and especially for the 5 stars 😀
Bruce Livingstone says
Thanks for this recipe which I have used numerous times this year. The only change I have made is to warm the milk and dissolve a tablespoon of golden syrup in it. It’s a winner.
Eb Gargano says
A pleasure – I am delighted to hear that you like it so much! And thank you especially for the 5 star rating 😀
Beth says
Thanks for the recipe! I live in Brazil and have been watching The Big Family Cooking Showdown. Many families made soda breads, so I decided to try it. It’s easy and delicious, really!
Eb Gargano says
You are welcome, I am glad to hear you enjoyed it! Eb 🙂
Deborah Nelson says
Fantastic bread recipe as not always easy to buy in the shops, it’s snatched up very quickly. Now I have my go to recipe it’s absolutely gorgeous,I usually make a loaf for our neighbours as they love it too.
Thank you for sharing your recipe
, I’m going to attempt cheese soda bread today. Will let you know the outcome.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! So pleased you liked it so much. Hope you enjoy the cheese one too… let me know what you think! Eb 🙂
Deborah Nelson says
Cheese one delicious too. Very impressed how easy it is to make
Eb Gargano says
Yay so happy you liked the cheese one too! Gotta love an easy peasy recipe 😀
Hugh Donnelly says
Would this whole meal recipe be beneficial for a type2 diabetic
Eb Gargano says
I am afraid I really don’t know. I know very little about what foods are suitable for Type 2 Diabetics. Sorry I can’t be more helpful on this occasion.
Sarah Nation says
This soda bread was delicious and very quick and easy to make. I am lactose intolerant, so the idea of buttermilk has always put me off making soda bread, but I followed Eb’s suggestion and used lactose free milk with lemon juice instead, which worked well.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you so much for this lovely review. I am so happy to hear this worked out so well for you! Eb 🙂
Nicola says
Can this be made in a Dutch oven pot, thanks
Eb Gargano says
I imagine so. But I have never tried it in a Dutch oven pot, so I can’t say with 100% certainty. Eb 🙂
Jennifer says
This soda bread is so quick and easy to make!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks – that’s so great to hear! 😀
JMac says
Easy recipe to follow, quick n easy to make. Don’t feel bloated after eating. My kind of loaf. Tried it with rye flour, going to try a different flour (not white) next time. Ran out of this homemade so ate a couple of slices of shop bought & ended up with stomach cramp!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀
Latha says
I usually us a recipe from the guardian feast magazine with treacle and honey to make soda bread. So I thought I will try this recipe. It was easy and simpler to make. I normally use plain yoghurt and it works. I added a handful of walnuts too. All in all this recipe is great. I loved it.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀