Easy Vegan Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour (510 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (more to taste)
- 3 tablespoons dairy free butter/margarine, melted
- 1 ½ cups vegan buttermilk*
- ¼ cup plant based yogurt (plain or vanilla)
- ¾ cup currants or chopped raisins
Instructions
- Homemade Vegan Buttermilk: In a large measuring cup, stir together 1 ½ cups soy milk (or another non dairy milk) and 4 teaspoons white vinegar (apple cider vinegar or lemon juice). Set aside to curdle.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a 9" or 10" cast iron skillet (or similar) with softened vegan butter or use a slice of parchment paper. Melt the butter.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour*, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. *Measure 4 cups of flour using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method (see notes). Remove ½ a cup of flour and set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: Make a well in the flour mixture add in the vegan buttermilk, plant based yogurt, melted butter, and chopped raisins (currants). Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. The dough will be sticky- add more of the reserved flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
- Shaping the loaf: Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Add a sprinkle of flour over the sticky dough ball (from the reserved flour) as needed. With lightly floured hands, gently shape the dough into a round loaf (~6-7"). Flatten the rounded dough slightly. Do not overwork the dough or the bread will be dense instead of tender.
- Score the bread: Transfer the round to the prepared cast iron pan. Using a sharp knife, score a large 'X' (~½" deep) in the top of the dough ball (see photos). This allows the center to bake.
- Bake the bread: Place the bread in the preheated 400º F oven and bake for 40-55 minutes or until lightly golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Internal temperature 195º F (90º C). Loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil if its taking on too much color.
- Let cool: Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for ~15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Flour: I measure out 4 cups of flour (510 grams on a kitchen scale) then remove ½ a cup before mixing the flour into the dough. I add only as much of the remaining ½ cup flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface and my hands.
- Measuring flour without a kitchen scale: Use the spoon and level method. Don't scoop the flour directly out of the flour bag with your measuring cup (the flour is too compacted). Use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Then scoop spoonfuls of flour to fill the measuring cup. Level off the flour with flat side of a butterknife.
- Vegan Buttermilk & Plant Based Yogurt: You can use all buttermilk, but I swap out 20% of the buttermilk for yogurt to thicken up the buttermilk and add flavor and tenderness to the soda bread.
- Baking Powder: My Aunty's traditional Irish soda bread recipe includes baking powder and baking soda. I recipe tested using just soda and also with both. I like the extra lift from adding the baking powder so I include it in my recipe. The choice is yours to add it or skip it.
- Pan Options: Use a 9-10" cast iron skillet, a low side Dutch oven (no lid), a metal pie plate or a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- How to tell when vegan soda bread is done: When you tap the bottom of the loaf it will sound hollow. If you have an instant read thermometer, the center of the loaf should be 195° F (90° C). If the cut parts are quite pale, the bread is not done yet.
- Storing and Freezing: Wrap the Irish soda bread in plastic wrap and tin foil or place in a ziplock bag or an airtight container. Store at room temperature for about 2-3 days or freeze it for up to 2-3 months.