June 2021
GLUTEN FREE IRISH SODA BREAD
Made with Gluten and Lactose-Free products
Preheat oven to 375F
I have been making Irish Soda Bread for many years! I think 50 counts as many? Originally, I made this bread with regular All-Purpose Flour before gluten-Intolerance attacked my tummy and was surprised how well my old recipe adapted into a gluten-free version.
As usual, whenever Peter bites into this bread he says, “this is fantastic”! well, it is! Our daughter Catharine and her husband Willy also loved it the other day when I made it to go with the corned beef and cabbage extravaganza I served.
As I had misplaced my recipe, I adapted Nichole Hunns’ recipe to make it more like my recipe.
I still use regular buttermilk as that does not seem to upset either of our tummies, What I don’t use I freeze in ‘snack bags’ which holds about 1 c. Using plain yogurt is a good substitute for buttermilk and something that is always in my refrigerator.
I used an 8” round pan which will yield an 8” round loaf!
Measure and prep.
Dough:
Gluten-free all-purpose flour – 280 g, I use Nichole’s Mock Better Batter* you can use Better Batter itself.
Xanthan gum – 2 t
Gua gum – 1 t (if you don’t have gua gum just use 3 t of xanthan)
Baking powder - 1 rounded t
Baking soda – ¾ t
Kosher salt – 1 t
Granulated sugar – 75 g
Ghee - 42 g frozen or Earth Balance vegan butter frozen. After grating refreeze
Dried cranberries - 100 g cut into quatres and tossed in 1 T flour, raisins or currents work well
Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 t
Plain yogurt– ¾ c chilled or buttermilk
Egg – 60 g beaten
Let's bake soda bread:
Line an 8” metal pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Shred the frozen ghee or vegan butter and place in the freezer until ready to use.
In a large bowl place, all the dry stuff and whisk together. Add the frozen shredded fat and toss with a fork to mix. Add the dried cranberries and toss again.
Add the eggs to the yogurt or chilled buttermilk and beat well, make a well in the center of the dry stuff and mix gently with that fork to combine. When the dough come together, dump on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and shape into a dome.
If there are any dry and crumbly bits of flour in your dough spray* with water till the dough comes together.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Place the dome on the parchment lined pan and slash a cross about 1” deep and 4 “long on top. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour and place the pan for 10 to 20 minutes in the freezer to firm up.
Reduce the oven heat to 350F and bake the bread in the preheated oven for 35 minutes on the middle rack. The bread should be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread should come out clean. If you need to bake for a longer period check every 5 minutes to see if the bread is firm. Once the bread is firm, check with a toothpick. If the top is browning too fast, place a piece of foil on top of the dough.
When done, remove from the oven and let cool on a rack in the pan. After 10 minutes, remove the bread from the pan and cool on the rack till cool to the touch.
Slice and serve. With butter or cream cheese. We prefer it plain when fresh.
Any bread is left after we have had our fill is sliced and frozen. Toasted and spread with cream cheese or butter, it is fantastic!
This bread is so delicious. It’s an excellent substitute for cinnamon bread.
Serve with corned beef and cabbage, Shepard's pie, roasted, BBQed or grilled meats or composed salads that we like for lunch. One of my favorites is toasted with scrambled eggs!
*I have a travel size spray bottle filled with warm water for this type of situation.
* Nichole Hann’s ’Mock Better Batter’ recipe. Makes 140 g of gluten free all-purpose flour blend.
Superfine white rice flour - 42 g
Superfine brown rice flour - 42 g
Tapioca starch – 21 g
Potato starch – 21 g
Potato flour – 7 g
Xanthan gum – 3 g
Pure powdered pectin – 2 g - Pomona pectin
Whisk all together to make 140 g or 1 c
I usually make about 10 x of this recipe and store in a cool dark place as it is my flour blend to go for most baked goods.
Enjoy!