mohamed shili This Rye Soda Bread is a rustic and hearty recipe, which is made with wholemeal and rye flours. It’s the perfect quick bread, ready in under an hour with no proving required.
Rye Soda Bread Recipe Ingredients
- 250g wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g rye flour
- 50g porridge oats
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 level teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1 x 300ml tub of buttermilk or natural yoghurt
How To Make Rye Soda Bread
- Prep Oven and Mix Dry Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. In a large bowl, mix together the wholemeal flour, rye flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda, and 1 level teaspoon of sea salt.
- Combine and Form the Dough: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk (or yoghurt) together. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and use a fork to stir until it just starts to come together into a shaggy dough.
- Shape the Loaf: On a lightly floured surface, use your clean, floured hands to gently pat and bring the dough together into a round ball. Do not knead.
- Score and Bake: Place the dough on a lightly floured baking tray. Use your hands to flatten the ball into a disc, roughly 3cm (about 1 inch) deep. Use a sharp knife to score a deep cross into the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: The bread is done when a firm crust has formed and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer it to a wire cooling rack and serve slightly warm.
Recipe Tips
- How to get a tender soda bread? The most important secret to any soda bread is to not over-knead it! Handle the dough as little as possible, just bringing it together until it forms a ball. Overworking the dough will make the final bread tough and dense.
- What’s the purpose of the cross on top? Scoring a deep cross in the dough isn’t just for tradition. It allows the heat to penetrate into the center of the dense loaf, helping it to bake evenly all the way through.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Soda bread is at its absolute best when it is served warm, fresh from the oven. It’s a quick bread, so it’s easy to make right before you want to eat it.
- How do I know when the bread is cooked? The best way to check for doneness is the sound test. Carefully pick up the hot loaf (using an oven mitt) and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s perfectly cooked through.
What To Serve With Rye Soda Bread
This is a classic, rustic bread that is fantastic on its own or as an accompaniment to many dishes. It is wonderful served:
- Warm from the oven, with a thick smear of good quality salted butter.
- With a sharp cheddar cheese and some chutney.
- Alongside a hearty bowl of soup or a beef stew.
- Toasted, and topped with smoked salmon and cream cheese.
How To Store Rye Soda Bread
- Room Temperature: Soda bread is best eaten on the day it is made. If you have leftovers, store them wrapped in a clean tea towel at room temperature. It will be good for 1-2 days and is delicious when toasted.
Rye Soda Bread Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 slice (1/10th of loaf)
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Protein: 8g
- Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Sugar: 3g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
This is the most common question about soda bread, and there’s an easy fix! To make your own buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 300ml of regular milk. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it has slightly curdled, then use as directed.
Why is my soda bread so dense?
A dense, heavy soda bread is almost always the result of overworking the dough. The key is to be very gentle and handle the dough as little as possible. Mix it just until it comes together, shape it, and get it into the oven.
Can I add other ingredients?
Yes. For a different flavor profile, you could add a handful of seeds (like sunflower or pumpkin seeds), some chopped walnuts, or even a handful of raisins to the dry ingredients before mixing.
Try More Recipes:
- Gluten-Free Cheese & Garlic Tear ‘n’ Share Bread Recipe
- Quick Flatbreads with Avocado & Feta Recipe
- Berry Pocket Eggy Bread Recipe
Rye Soda Bread Recipe
Course: Side DIshCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
10
minutes45
210
kcalA classic, no-yeast bread that is incredibly quick and easy to make, featuring a hearty, rustic texture from wholemeal and rye flours.
Ingredients
250g wholemeal flour
100g rye flour
50g porridge oats
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 level tsp sea salt
1 large egg
300ml buttermilk or natural yoghurt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
- In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: both flours, the oats, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a fork to mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Use your hands to gently bring the dough together into a round ball. Do not knead.
- Place on a floured baking tray, flatten into a 3cm deep disc, and score a deep cross on top.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- The most important tip for this recipe is to not overwork or knead the dough; this is the secret to a tender, not tough, soda bread.
- For the best results, use buttermilk as its acidity reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to give the bread its rise.
- This is a “quick bread,” which means there is no yeast and no proving time required, so you can have a fresh loaf in under an hour.
- Don’t be shy when scoring the cross on top; it needs to be quite deep to help the center of the dense loaf cook through.