Description
The hearty loaf of Irish brown bread is super easy to make, no kneading required, and comes together in an hour! With a tight crumb characteristic of brown soda bread and slightly sweetened with maple syrup, it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s day or anytime. Eat this gluten-free brown soda bread as avocado toast, rustic sandwiches, or simply toasted and spread with fresh butter or jam! Totally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan too, but no one would care.
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 1 cup millet flour
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cups warm dairy-free buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Instructions
- Preheat and Line: Preheat the oven to 350F and line a medium cast iron skillet or baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown rice flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, psyllium husk powder, baking soda, and baking powder together. Whisk well to combine.
- Add Wet ingredients: Add the maple syrup, warm dairy-free buttermilk, and sunflower oil to the large bowl of dry ingredients. Mix well to get a thick but homogeneous dough (dough will be slightly stick but that’s fine)
- Shape Dough in Ball and Place in Skillet: Shape the Dough into a ball and place on the prepared lined cast iron skillet or baking sheet.
- Cut a Cross: Cut a deep cross on the top of the dough (use a smooth-edged knife to slice 2 perpendicular lines on top of the dough).
- Bake Until Golden Brown: Bake the dough for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool Completely Before Slicing: Let the Irish soda bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into it.
Notes
Brown Rice Flour: I like using brown rice flour as the base of this Irish brown bread recipe. Alternatively, you may also use a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend if you prefer.
Millet Flour: You can make your own millet flour or buy a packet. If you don’t have millet flour, you can substitute it with sorghum flour, amaranth flour, or buckwheat flour.
Sorghum Flour: If you don’t have sorghum flour, you can use millet flour, amaranth flour, or buckwheat flour.
Psyllium Husk Powder: Psyllium husk powder is the substitute for gluten in this gluten-free recipe and helps to bind the ingredients together. Make sure you use the powder version. If you only have access to whole psyllium husks, you can grind the husks in a high-speed blender or coffee grinder until you get a fine powder.
Baking Soda: Since Irish brown soda bread is leavened with baking soda, this is an important ingredient.
Baking Powder: In addition to baking soda, we’re also using baking powder to help the dough rise even more. If you have Celiac disease or are gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
Maple Syrup: I like using maple syrup to sweeten this Irish brown bread. Alternatively, you may use molasses or agave nectar. If you are not vegan, you may also use honey instead.
Dairy-Free Buttermilk: To help the batter rise, we need to create an acidic environment, and the sourness of the buttermilk will do just that. If you don’t have buttermilk, simply combine 2 cups of non-dairy milk (such as almond milk or cashew milk) with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for a while. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, you may use normal buttermilk instead. I like to warm the buttermilk a little before adding it to the dry ingredients for best results.
Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. Alternatively, you may also use another vegetable oil such as olive oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil.
Storing/Freezing: To store, place the cooled gluten-free brown soda bread in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap the fully cooled loaf in various layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Adapted from: King Arthur Baking
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
