Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour we used GF Jules, affiliate link, Jen has made it with Cup4Cup and Bob's Red Mill 1:1, plus more to coat your hands
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 6 tablespoons raisins plumped instructions below
- 1 egg whisked
- 1 cup buttermilk to make your own, please 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in a liquid measuring cup, fill with milk of choice to the 1 cup mark and let sit 10 minutes or until curdling
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter to grease the pan
Instructions
Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 round cake pan with coconut oil or butter and set aside.
- Place raisins in a small bowl, and cover with warm water for fifteen minutes. After they have soaked, drain the raisins and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, add the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and caraway seeds. Whisk to combine.
- Slowly cut in butter, using a pastry cutter or your hands, until the butter is pea-sized (Iusually refer to this as cornmeal like texture)
- Add drained raisins, then slowly add the egg, and lastly, buttermilk and combine with a large spoon. (I used Kitchen Aid stand mixer)
- At this point, the dough should be wet and sticky. If you find that it is dry, add 1/4 cup of additional buttermilk until everything is moist. (Note, I didn't find it overly sitcky and did not add extra buttermilk)
- Coat your hands with gluten-free flour if needed and mix the dough by hand until blended and formed into a ball. Once formed into a ball, place in a greased cake pan. Rinse your hands off - that dough is sticky!
- Using a pastry brush, brush the top with more buttermilk until coated on all sides.
- Using a knife, make an X in the dough across the middle, to allow for steam to escape.
- Bake for 60 minutes. The bread should be perfectly golden brown. Remove from pan and cool completely on a baking rack. Cover with foil when not eating.
Notes from Jen:
Gluten-Free Flour:
- Be sure to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to substitute for all-purpose flour. I have had success with Cup4Cup flour and Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag).( I used GF Jules) Please note that the dough should be wet and sticky. If it isn't (and it might not be based on the flour you use) add an additional 1/4 cup of buttermilk as needed until everything is moist and sticky. (Note: I did not add the additional buttermilk)
Sticky Dough
- Once you add the wet ingredients, the dough is very sticky, but that's what makes this recipe so much fun! Kids will love it as it lets them get their hands dirty. Have a sink nearby and a towel, too, but be sure to coat your hands with flour when you start mixing.
Storage
- Irish soda bread will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature. It will harden as time goes on, so feel free to pop in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften. Put on a small pat of butter and melt it on there...so good! Enjoy!