Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread ~ I’ve made this authentic Irish quick bread even more delicious with the addition of oat flour…you won’t find an easier, or more tasty quick bread anywhere ~ it’s ready in under an hour!
Soda bread is a traditional Irish bread made without yeast, and leavened with baking soda and buttermilk
It’s been made on a daily basis for generations. This bread has a unique texture and a charming simplicity. Maybe you fist encounter it when you’re putting together a St. Patrick’s Day menu, but once you try it, it will become one of those recipes you turn to again and again. Bread this quick and easy doesn’t come along every day.
I’ve used one of my favorite ingredients to bump up the flavor and texture of this Irish oatmeal soda bread ~ oat flour!
It’s naturally sweet, and adds so much to almost anything you bake. And guess what? You don’t need to go out and buy anything special, you can whip up your own by processing regular oats, either rolled or steel cut, in a food processor or high speed blender. I used my Vitamix and it took less than a minute. The resulting flour is silky and really delicious. For more details, check out my post about how to make your own oat flour.
TIP: If you can get past the scraggly looks of this bread, you’re a wise person because you’ll have a wonderful go-to bread recipe that can be hot on your table in less than an hour.
The characteristic cross is cut into the dough with a sharp knife just before baking to allow the bread to rise…and to let the fairies escape!
what to serve with soda bread
- Corn and Cheddar Cheese Chowder
- Finnish Salmon Soup
- Mushroom and Brie Soup
- Potato Soup with Bratwurst
Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk (possibly a little bit more)
Instructions
- Set oven to 425F
- Whisk the flours, salt, and soda together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, and add about 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk. Gradually mix the flour and buttermilk, adding the remaining buttermilk if your dough seems too dry. The dough will have a rough texture to it.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly until it comes together. Form into an 8 inch round disk. Transfer to a baking sheet and cut a cross in the top with a sharp knife.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. It should sound hollow when you rap the bottom.
- Let cool for a few minutes, but then enjoy it while still warm, with some good Irish butter, of course!
Notes
- If you want a real treat, Make Your own Butter to have with your bread!
Nutrition
Could you confirm that the dough should be needed into an 8 inch round disk. Do you mean disk as in a flat shape? Will the loaf rise to a round loaf as it bakes?
Hi Dean, yes this loaf will rise as it cooks so it doesn’t need to be shaped into a round ball like some breads do. No need to go out of your way to overly flatten it, but a rough disk shape (it will be pretty thick) will do the trick. Hope this helps!
Can you use all oat flour with this bread?
I haven’t tried that Christie, so I’m not sure.
This is a brilliant recipe. Have made it several times ?ince finding it on your site. Stays lovely and moist for a couple of days. But then it makes super toast!
I like the suggestion of a previous commenter for using Guinness as part of the liquid in the recipe – might try it.
Thanks Sue. :))
I love your enthusiasm Mary 🙂
Hello – I can’t wait to try this bread – it sounds delicious. I will try it as written the first time, but wondered what are your thoughts on using a beer (Guinness, perhaps) instead of the buttermilk? Obviously it would give it a different flavor, but I’m interested in your thoughts? Thanks in advance!!
I haven’t tried it, but I think you should be able to use beer. Let us know how it turns out!
Loving this recipe for today. I have barley flour left over from another bake, and no oatmeal flour, so I’ll use that. I’m also adding in about 3/4 cup of currants. Baking this in two cast-iron bread pans. Thanks for the recipe – so far I’m loving the texture of the dough, as when I’ve made this in the past the dough was just impossible to work with, shape, and bake well. It was such a mess. I’m always afraid to over-knead, and I think I end up not kneading enough.
I bet the barley flour will give it nice flavor.
I don’t see a temperature listed for the oven! What temperature?
Oh, 425 I’m sorry I must have missed it!
Hi:
Can you halve this recipe? There are only 2 of us, and I have to make in a toaster oven.
Sure, just be sure to watch the baking time. You can also make it in muffin form!