No buttermilk? No problem. This traditional Irish soda bread without buttermilk will have you cutting into a warm loaf of bread in no time! Serve the easy soda bread warm with butter, fig jam, or marmalade. It also pairs well with hearty meals like Instant Pot beef stew or Dutch oven corned beef and cabbage.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic Irish soda bread dates back centuries, and you can make this family recipe using a few simple ingredients.
- Unlike other breads, this quick bread uses baking soda and soured milk instead of yeast – so there’s no need for proofing.
- Don’t have any buttermilk on hand? This recipe shows you how to make hearty homemade bread without buttermilk. Just in time for your St. Patrick’s Day meal!
- Serve the delicious bread as breakfast or snack with lots of butter and jam.
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Why is it Called Soda Bread?
- Can You Make Irish Soda Bread without Buttermilk?
- What You Need to Make this Recipe
- Tools Used to Make this Recipe
- How to Make Irish Soda Bread Without Buttermilk
- Expert Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- What to do With the Leftovers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Soda Bread Without Buttermilk
Why is it Called Soda Bread?
Contrary to the name, soda bread has nothing to do with soda pop. It is a quick and easy bread to make because it uses baking soda instead of yeast (hence the name), eliminating the need for time-consuming proofing. In many traditional bread recipes, the baking soda reacts with acidic buttermilk to give the bread rise; this chemical reaction gives soda bread its characteristic texture and flavor.
I don’t know about you, but I usually don’t have buttermilk in my fridge, so I had to learn quick substitutions to make soda bread without buttermilk.
Can You Make Irish Soda Bread without Buttermilk?
As a home cook, I believe in using what you have and getting creative. Sometimes, that means using substitutions, whether you need to find a substitute for Napa cabbage or ingredients like chia seeds or simple syrup.
If you need a buttermilk substitute, there are several combinations you can use to make the bread. Mix regular milk or a dairy-free alternative with any of these buttermilk alternatives. Whatever you decide to use, this recipe will give you the details of how to make soda bread without buttermilk.
- Lemon Juice
- White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- Greek Yogurt
- Sour Cream
- Cream of Tartar
- Plain Kefir
What You Need to Make this Recipe
- Milk: Milk adds moisture and contributes to the overall texture of the bread. Use regular milk or a non-dairy option like almond or oat milk.
- Lemon Juice: Baking soda, combined with an acid, creates bubbles to lighten baked goods. In this recipe, baking soda, milk, and lemon juice have a quick response, so the Irish soda bread dough doesn’t require a lengthy rise time similar to my no fail cinnamon rolls. You can also use Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- All Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is a staple in most pantries. You can also use whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour to meet your dietary needs, though I haven’t tested the recipe with those variations.
- Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate): Baking soda is a leavening agent that helps the dough rise by producing carbon dioxide gas when it reacts with acidic ingredients. In this case, it reacts with the acidity from the lemon juice in the milk.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the bread.
Tools Used to Make this Recipe
I use my Dutch oven to bake Irish soda bread without buttermilk, but you can also bake bread on a rimmed baking sheet, roasting pan, or pizza stone. You will also need a sharp knife or bread lame to score the bread.
How to Make Irish Soda Bread Without Buttermilk
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Pour the milk into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Stir to combine and set it aside for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and oil in a large bowl.
Step 3: Create a well and add the reserved sour milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir to form a sticky dough.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and use your hands to form a round loaf (3cm high).
Step 5: Line a Dutch oven with parchment paper and add the dough. Cut a deep cross (1 cm deep) across the top of the loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before serving.
Expert Tips
Soda bread is one of the easiest breads to bake, and all you need to make it is fresh lemon juice, milk, flour, salt, and oil.
- Irish soda bread without buttermilk is a rustic bread, which means it doesn’t have to have a perfect appearance. While forming the dough, don’t worry about making it perfectly round. Flour your hands as you form the dough – it will be a little sticky.
- Use a sharp knife, razor, or bread lame to score a deep cross on the top of the dough; this ensures the center cooks at the same rate as the rest of the bread.
- Soda bread bakes at a higher temperature than other bread recipes. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and bake the bread for 30-40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing for the best results.
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Serving Suggestions
Soda bread is delicious as-it-is, but a few extras can take the crusty bread recipe to another level.
- Mix-Ins: Make Irish soda bread however you like it, which means deciding whether you want it to be savory or sweet.
- Sunflower Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
- Caraway Seeds
- Walnuts
- Pistachios
- Almonds
- Raisin
- Craisins
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- What do you put on Irish soda bread? Spread savory bone marrow butter, homemade fig jam, honey, avocado, nut, or seed butter onto the bread to serve.
What to do With the Leftovers
- Storage – Soda bread can dry quickly, so I recommend covering it with plastic wrap and wrapping it in foil. Leave the leftovers at room temperature for three days, but it’s best enjoyed fresh.
- Freeze – Let the bread cool completely, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Soda bread freezes for 2-3 months.
- Thaw – Before serving, defrost it on the countertop overnight.
- Repurpose – Use the leftover bread to replace rye and make a Reuben.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is buttermilk used in soda bread?
Unlike other bread recipes, soda bread relies on the reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and the acid in the buttermilk to flavor the bread and help it rise.
How do you know when soda bread is done?
To know when bread is done cooking, tap on the crust and listen for a hollow sound.
Can you over-knead soda bread?
If you want to knead the dough, limit it to 5-6 times to form the bread into a round loaf (especially if the dough is extra sticky). If you over knead a no-yeast bread like soda bread, it results in a dense crumb. As a rule of thumb, the softer the crumb, the less you knead.
More Irish Recipes:
Soda Bread Without Buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, about one lemon
- 2 cups milk
- 4¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Pour the milk into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Stir to combine and set it aside for 10 minutes.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and oil in a large bowl.
- Create a well and add the reserved sour milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir to form a sticky dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and use your hands to form a round loaf (3cm high).
- Line a Dutch oven with parchment paper and add the dough. Cut a deep cross (1 cm deep) across the top of the loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before serving.
- Irish soda bread without buttermilk is a rustic bread, which means it doesn’t have to have a perfect appearance. While forming the dough, don’t worry about making it perfectly round. Flour your hands as you form the dough – it will be a little sticky.
- Use a sharp knife, razor, or bread lame to score a deep cross on the top of the dough; this ensures the center cooks at the same rate as the rest of the bread.
- Soda bread bakes at a higher temperature than other bread recipes. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) and bake the bread for 30-40 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing for the best results.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.