No Yeast! No problem. Our Easy White Soda bread is made with only 6 ingredients and ready in 1 hour. We love our no yeast bread topped with Oats for added texture. Learn how to make this Emergency Bread recipe with step by step method.
NO YEAST WHITE SODA BREAD WITH BUTTERMILK
There are so many times, that I have run out of bread at home and I really don’t have the zeal to drive to the supermarket. So this easy no yeast emergency bread comes in handy in a hurry. With just a handful of pantry ingredients, you can make this recipe for white soda bread with no yeast and no eggs!
Why wait to make this Yeast free SODA BREAD until St Patrick’s Day in March ?
Simply USE Vegan Butter and Vegan milk in this recipe for a Vegan Soda Bread.
This No Yeast Bread has a dense texture with a tight crumb inside. If you would like an airy, fluffy bread recipe, I can highly recommend my Eggless Dinner Rolls and Plaited Bread!
What I especially love about this WHITE SODA BREAD is that it requires no special technique, no equipment, and no elaborate kneading! No Eggs and No Yeast too!
This No Yeast Soda Bread is
- Easy, No fuss bread made with just 6 ingredients.
- perfect when you don’t have yeast at hand.
- Ready in less than 1 hour.
- Made with buttermilk for all the extra richness!
- Great with butter and homemade strawberry jam. Just how my kids love it!
- Delicious with some warm soup too.
Before you start,
4 TIPS TO THE BEST HOMEMADE WHITE SODA BREAD
WEIGH THE INGREDIENTS – To get your Soda bread perfect every single time, I recommend weighing the flour using the weighing scale instead of using cup measurement. If you are using a cup measurement, remember to add the scoop the flour lightly packed instead of tightly packed and swipe the edge of a knife across the flat top of the cup.
DOUGH PREPARATION – STOP over kneading the dough for making SODA BREAD DOUGH. Use gentle kneading roughly 6-8 times to bring the dough together. The dough should be moist and soft but not too wet.
BREAD SODA or BAKING SODA – Baking soda is known as Bread Soda in Ireland and is absolutely necessary in our Soda bread preparation. If the Soda is not mixed well with the remaining ingredients, it can leave a mettalic taste in the bread.
Trick is to sieve the bread soda along with the plain flour to make sure they do not form into small lumps.
SCORE A CRISS CROSS – is necessary for the bread to cook evenly. Do not skip the step to make a DEEP CROSS CUT in the centre of the load.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
You only require 6 pantry essential ingredients for making delicious NO Yeast White Soda bread. In fact you can settle in for 4 – flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.
We like added flavours and texture in our Irish loaf bread. So I have added some melted butter to the dough and rolled oats on the crust.
- Flour – I’ve used plain flour / all purpose flour in this recipe. Using strong bread flour could alter the texture of this bread.
- Buttermilk – can be easily bought from super market or make them at home. Depending upon the protein content of the flour, the moisture in the atmosphere – the amount of buttermilk needed can vary. I recommend adding a little at a time to your dough, to achieve the right consistency.
- Bicarbonate soda is also known as soda bicarbonate. Adding this soda in combination with buttermilk gives the bread a rise and unique flavors. ( DO NOT SUBSTITUTE IT WITH BAKING POWDER!! )
- Salt – I like using sea salt or table salt – depending upon whatever is handy.
- Melted Butter ( optional ) lends this Soda bread lots of flavor. Traditional Irish Soda bread doesn’t have any butter, but let me tell you, adding butter to this white soda bread will make plenty of difference in flavours.
MAKE WHITE SODA BREAD STEP BY STEP
COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS
- Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and make a well.
- Add the buttermilk in 2- 3 instances, stirring the ingredients together to form a shaggy moist dough.
- Add the melted butter and gently combine.
SHAPE THE DOUGH
- Transfer this dough to a floured surface and shape the dough into a ball with approx 2″ thickness.
- Remember to shape the dough with a little height, otherwise your bread will turn out a bit too flat.
BAKE IRISH WHITE SODA BREAD
- Now, transfer this shaped white soda bread dough to a cast iron skillet or to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Score an X on the top. This step is important to ensure your bread cooks evenly. ( Do not Skip this Step! )
- Bake in a 400 F / 200 C preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. Loosely cover the bread with a foil at about 25 minutes. This step is essential so that the bread top does not brown too quickly. ( In short it doesn’t get burnt )
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and allow it cool for at least 5 minutes, before slicing.
WHAT DO YOU EAT SODA BREAD WITH?
Soda bread tastes SIMPLY delicious when it is straight out of the oven. Off-course Warm!! Enjoy with butter & homemade jam or Nutella!
Build a sandwich with your favourite filling. It is also delicious with your olive oil balsamic vinegar dip ( in your antipasti platter ).
Did I tell you, this bread compliments soups really well.
You would love these to pair with my loaf
HOW TO MAKE EASY SODA BREAD RECIPE WITHOUT BUTTERMILK?
To make Soda bread recipe without buttermilk, you will need Milk or Yogurt. There are 3 ways to make easy Buttermilk at home. Take a pick on which is your favorite method.
- For the same quantity of milk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and set it aside for 5 minutes. This really works.
- For the same quantity, add 50% Yogurt and 50% water. Stir to combine to make buttermilk. Traditionally in India, this is how we make buttermilk. Did you know you can make Cucumber Lassi, Spiced Lassi with this buttermilk? Buttermilk is delicious to be enjoyed with a spicy meal.
- Alternatively you can use 50% Yogurt and 50% Milk for buttermilk.
IS SODA BREAD HEALTHY?
Irish soda bread is made with 100% natural ingredients and uses No Yeast in the recipe. Homemade buttermilk lends delicious flavors and texture to the bread. However to make Soda Bread healthier and heartier – use whole wheat flour instead of plain flour.
DO IRISH ADD RAISINS TO THE SODA BREAD?
Irish tend not to add raisins to the everyday White Soda Bread or Brown Soda Bread. The addition of raisins and caraway seeds to the Soda bread is an Irish American version.
How to make White Soda Bread recipe?
Ingredients
- 3¾ Cup Plain Flour (450g) + plus extra for rolling
- 1 ½ Cup Buttermilk + ½ Cup
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 3 Tbsp Melted Butter
- Optional Topping – 1 Tbsp Oats & Flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F/ 200C
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a seasoned 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, lined with parchment paper. Preheating the skillet is not necessary.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and bicarbonate soda. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre.
- Add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients in 2 -3 instances, mixing the dry and wet ingredients until you have a shaggy sticky and moist dough.
- Now add melted butter and gently combine.
- Place the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a 2 inch thick loaf approximately. Don’t overwork the dough!
- Transfer the loaf to the cast iron lined with parchment paper. Brush the soda loaf with buttermilk.
- Score a deep X into the top. ( about 3/4 inch). This is an essential step to ensure your bread cooks evenly. ( Do not Skip this Step! )
- Sprinkle oats and flour on the top (optional)
- Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 40- 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden. Loosely cover the bread with aluminium foil at halfway through the baking.
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and allow it cool for at least 5 minutes, before slicing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This bread looks delicious and so simple to make too. I can’t wait to try it.
There has been a yeast shortage here for months, so I’m really excited to have this recipe that doesn’t require any! This bread looks fluffy and delicious, and I can’t wait to try it.
This is such an amazing bread recipe!! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you love it Toni. Such a fuss free homemade bread recipe without yeast! Handy all through the year.
Thanks so much for this recipe! All of the stores are sold out of yeast around here, so it comes at a particularly good time. The crust on this bread is to-die for!
So glad Annisa!!
This Easy White Soda bread was a big hit on our dinner table and even the next day’s lunch! I loved it and will be making this recipe in a double batch next time.
Loved how easy it was to make this bread! Delicious! Making it again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
This soda bread recipe was so simple to make and turned out perfectly! I’m not a baker and have never actually made bread from scratch at home – and my family was super impressed with this recipe!
Love the idea for making bread without yeast! A slice of this bread will be great with some butter.
It is a Yeast free bread and this recipe always comes my rescue when I have run out of bread at home.
This bread was simple to make and turned out perfect. Thanks for the detailed instructions and pictures as well, that helped a bunch.
How amazing!! This White Soda bread recipe is indeed very simple and you don’t even need Yeast or Eggs.