Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread
Easy to make, hearty and flavorful gluten-free Irish Soda Bread that goes great alongside any meal. We enjoy this gluten free soda bread around St. Patrick’s Day and throughout the year!If you are looking for an easy to make, yeast-free bread that is great to serve with soup, gluten-free chili, gluten-free beef stew, or any hearty main dish, this gluten-free Irish Soda Bread would be a great choice!
I think I only had Irish Soda bread once or twice before going gluten-free. Since mastering this recipe, I’ve had several times in the past year and it’s a yearly gluten-free St. Patrick’s Day meal tradition!
A few years ago I made three Irish Soda Bread recipes to bring to a potluck. Everyone tried them and gave me feedback and this one was the clear winner.
I’ve made it with the Zante currants and without – it is great both ways. I preferred using Zante currants over raisins, since they are smaller, but you could also use raisins. I’ve got texture issues with raisins!
We really enjoyed this served with butter or honey butter too. YUM!
Let’s talk about what you need for making this easy gluten-free Irish Soda Bread.
Notes on ingredients for this Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread:
- Flour: I’ve tested this with three different gluten-free flour blends with great success. Maninis Multi-Purpose Flour Blend, gfJules all-purpose gluten-free flour from Amazon, and with Gluten Free Mama’s all-purpose almond flour blend available from Amazon with success too!
- If the gluten-free flour blend you use already has xanthan gum or guar gum in it, then omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe.
- Raisins or Currants: You can use raisins or currants. I opted to use Zante currants. They are made from tiny grapes and I’ve found that while I dislike raisins, I do like Zante currants. Why? They are so small that they add just a bit of flavor without a weird mushy texture that you can get from raisins. They can sometimes be found in a box near the raisins and dried cranberries at your local store, though I admit I had to go to 2 stores before I could find them here locally! You can also order online. Amazon also carries these Zante currants. Note that Zante currants are not actually currants, which is why I specified what they are called.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk in the U.S. is gluten-free. If you don’t wish to buy buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk at home.
While the dough with gfJules was a little stickier to work with, I honestly couldn’t tell any taste or texture difference in the baked loaves. I can definitely recommend you use whichever flour blend you have access to or want to order.
I highly suspect that other good quality gluten-free flour blends will work well in this recipe as well. I just wanted to specifically mention the ones I’ve tested it with so far. I simply cannot test every blend available, but please do try with your favorite blend and comment to let others know!
After you shape your dough into a smooth mound, you’ll brush it with a mixture of buttermilk and butter. Then you’ll cut a cross or an X into it.
Why is there a cross cut into Irish Soda Bread?
There are several reasons why a cross or an x is cut into a loaf of Irish Soda bread before baking. First, there is a baking benefit to this. Since the dough is shaped into a smooth mound, the center is very thick compared to the rest of the bread, and it would be easy for it to remain uncooked. The cross helps the heat reach the center, and allows the loaf to grow and expand as it bakes.
The second reason why a cross is cut into a loaf is for symbolism. Some felt that a cross would ward off evil spirits or would help them be blessed.
I think you’ll be blessed with how delicious this is actually!
I recommend baking your loaf on a cookie sheet with a sheet or parchment paper on it. If you don’t use parchment paper yet when you bake, I highly recommend it!
With most recipes, using parchment paper saves you from having to grease any pans at all, plus no cleaning up! You can buy these pre-cut parchment paper sheets from Amazon.
Our small group from church has a potluck dinner each year near St. Patrick’s Day. I was asked to bring this gluten-free Irish Soda bread again this year, and thankfully I made two loaves, because it all got eaten! A couple of the other people in the group are wheat-free, but the rest are all “regular” eaters and all loved the bread. You definitely won’t miss the gluten in this!
This is a great choice for your gluten-free St. Patrick’s Day dinner. It would be great served with this gluten-free Corned Beef in the slow cooker if you’ve got that on the menu. Honestly, I haven’t even planned the rest of my St. Patrick’s Day menu, but I do know I’ll be making this bread again!
What are some other yeast-free breads I recommend you make soon? I’m glad you asked! 😉 I make these gluten-free buttermilk biscuits to have with breakfast or dinner and love them! My gluten-free cornbread is a huge hit for many families I know!
If you try this, I’d love to hear what flour blend you used successfully and what you served your delicious loaf with! Enjoy!
If you make a loaf of Irish Soda Bread and love it, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread Recipe:
Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread
This slightly sweet loaf of gluten-free Irish Soda Bread is easy to make!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) good quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend*
- 1 tsp. xanthan gum *see note
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick =8 Tbsp.) cold unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup currants or raisins
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg, room temperature
For brushing on loaf:
- 1 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1 Tbsp. buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum (if needed), sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized crumbs.
- Stir in the currants.
- In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk and egg then add to the flour/butter mixture.
- Start with a spatula to gently stir, then switch to using your hands to mix the batter together to form a wet dough that you can form into a ball.
- Dough will be quite sticky, but you should be able to form into a ball shape and place on the parchment paper lined baking pan.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. melted butter and 1 Tbsp. buttermilk. Using a pastry brush, brush the whole loaf with the butter/buttermilk mixture.
- Use a knife to cut an X shape in the top of the loaf.
- Bake at 375° for about 50-55 minutes, or until golden brown and no wet batter visible in the slit.
- Let cool on pan for 10 minutes, then move to cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. No need to serve this hot, it tastes great and cuts better when cooled off!
Notes
* If the gluten-free flour blend you use already has xanthan gum or guar gum in it, then omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe.
Recipe tested successfully with Maninis Multi-Purpose Flour Blend and gfJules flour blend. I recommend either one and link to where to buy in the recipe post.
Recipe slightly adapted from Maninis Gluten Free blog.
Pin this gluten-free soda bread to your Gluten-free Breads board on Pinterest:
Pics and a bit of text updated March 2019.
Old pic:
I hope you and your family enjoy this gf Irish Soda Bread as much as my family!
I was looking for a gluten-free, yeast-free hot cross bun recipe and stumbled across this – I just added a little extra fruit (used mixed dried fruit that included peel) and 1tsp of cinnamon and 1tsp mixed ground spice. I used lactose free milk, just adding some lemon juice to it to sour it in order to resemble more closely butter milk. The result was delicious. Heavenly warm, and still very yummy cold.
Didn’t take as long to bake as the recipe said.
Will definitely use this recipe again and explore making a savoury version of it.
Turned out perfectly. I used two cups of Anita’s Mill organic light buckwheat flour and one cup of Robin Hood gluten free all purpose flour blend. I took it out at 45 minutes and poured maple syrup on it because I’m Canadian.? Thank you for the recipe.
Made this tonight, had to make it dairy free also but it didn’t matter. Delicious.
Yum!! I’ve been searching for gluten free recipe for my son, and you’ve shared a perfect recipe.
I make this for stone soup every sunday with my little boys. It’s just as good as the wheat one I remember. I have used coconut sugar with great success. I always use King arthurs all purpose gluten free flour mix. it has x gum in it already. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
I’m so happy you and your boys enjoy this! Thanks for sharing your successful substitutions too!
I made this for the first time last night, using sliced kalamata olives instead of currants. I used my home-made GF flour mix (America’s Test Kitchen recipe). Maybe I made the loaf too thick and the cuts too deep but it wasn’t done in the middle at 55 minutes. I left for another 5 minutes and the middle was done but the bottom almost burnt. When cutting the loaf it falls apart. It does seem more like a scone to us and I think I’d leave out the sugar next time since the brown rice flour in my flour blend is already a bit sweet. I used kefir instead of buttermilk,.
Any suggestions?
AS a Grandma I am searching for interesting, tasty recipes for my granddaughter recently diagnosed as “gluten free intolerant” she loves food however as a family we are attempting to search for meals with the help
of others to find recipes for all members of the family to eat and more importantly enjoy rather that tolerate”
Such as gluten free pasta – an ingredient we find not so digestible.
Any helpers in accessing an ingredient better than we have assesed in Australia????
Made this 45 minutes ago. Fabulous. Maybe even fail-proof! I had to use 1-1 gf flour, regular bread flour, and almond flour to get 3 cups from my pantry. Xanthan, flax seed egg, coconut oil. Cut my “X” a little deep so I almost had 4 mini loafs. Great bread! A real “keeper”.
I made this and it came out great!
Looking for nutritional info and serving sizes please.
My family said this was the best Irish Soda bread period – gluten free or not! Beautiful and delicious! I used corn starch instead of xanthan gum but then realized my gf flour has xanthan gum added.
I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour – results were superb – we all enjoyed it – my grand daughter never got to taste soda bread since she has been celiac most of her life – it was a real treat for her – thank you for this recipe!
This is it! I’m done searching for the perfect Irish Soda Bread recipes because this one is perfection! My picky, non gluten free husband loves it and he rarely likes gluten free baked goods! All I can say is make it and see for yourself!
did anyone make it the day before? If so, how did you store it? Thanks
My family recipe uses caraway seeds and no raisins or currants. Try it if you don’t like raisins.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
The recipe for the above sounds great for Gluten Free don’t like the idea of incorporating fruit into a bread to eat with meat/chicken or other. Carraway seeds sound great. I am hoping my granddaughter; a gluten free person likes caraway seed. After all its early days into her diagnosis’s and we are attempting to transpose a diet that all in the family can eat rather than making different meals for one person.
Any hints out there????
Really superb soda bread. I couldn’t wait, ate it while still warm so the inside was just a little doughy but still cooked through. I used what I had on hand – about a cup of Cup4Cup and 2 of Pillsbury Best GF All Purpose Flour Blend. Substituted dried chopped cranberries for the currants because we’re in the middle of a winter storm and I can’t get to the store, and also sprinkled a little demarara sugar on top for crunch. This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper!
Thank you! This is a keeper. I have not made soda bread since I had to go gluten free.
It is so good! I added some orange zest and was running out of sugar(of all things) so put a little honey in place of half the sugar.
I also just put 1 tsp of baking powder instead of a tablespoon, it just didn’t seem right? Anyway it turned out great!
Thanks for this. For me, this is like a big “scone”. “Irish Scone Loaf” ma be more accurate. Which is fine, and the recipe was tasty – but not the same consistency/flavor of a quick bread, or traditional soda bread that does not have the amount of butter this does.
I used Premier Gold Ancient Grains 1-1 GF flour and added about 1/8 tsp Cardamom, based on another recipe. So good! (Could have added more Cardamom) Bked on parchment paper on a bread stone.
I used Namaste GF perfect flour blend. The bread came out SO dry and even though I only baked it for 50 minutes, it was definitely overbaked. Dont know if its this flour (although I use it for all my other baking successfully) or my oven. If I try this recipe again, I will have to add more buttermilk and reduce ccoking time.
I have made this twice using the Namaste GF flour. Its my celiac wifes favorite. The first time I added more buttermilk since the dough was so dry. It cooked for 20 additional minutes to get it done through. I use a thermometer and a wood skewer Wheat bread is done at 190 ish. GF seems to need 200-210. After 55 minutes this was only at 140 in a calibrated oven. I pulled it from the oven at 180 – 190 even though it was not up to temperature since any longer would have burned the crust. The bread was cooked through just barely. Great taste with the raisins.
The second time I did not add extra buttermilk. Had a hard time getting the dough into a ball but kept at it working the dough with my hands. Only baked this loaf 10 extra minutes. I pulled it at 180 for the same reasons as loaf #1. This one was not done in the middle. The first loaf was better.
Next time I will try dividing into 2 smaller loafs.
I’ll also pick up some Bobs Red Mill (local to us!) and some King Arther flour to try.
I liked the cranberry and orange zest suggestions. I agree this is more scone like than soda bread. (had an Irish mom). The recipe has potential.
I tried this with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 and really like how it came out!! This will be my go to from now on. Mine was a little dry but I’m over 7000 feet here in Colorado so I added a few more splashes of buttermilk to get it together. Thank you!
@Christine M, mine turned out a bit dry and crumbly as well, here in Arizona. I might try adding more buttermilk or maybe even a bit of applesauce. I just don’t know. Everyone at Easter enjoyed it, and there was not one slice left at the end of dinner. I used currants. It was devine.