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Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

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Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!

Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

I don’t know about you, but kitchen substitutions are practically an art form around here.  Whether it’s cocoa powder instead of baking chocolate, oil instead of butter, or flour instead of cornstarch, if it’s possible to substitute something, I’ve probably tried it.

As you can probably guess, once upon a time I wished to make Irish soda bread without buttermilk.  Buttermilk isn’t something I typically keep in the fridge, so I had to use a substitution trick with regular milk instead.  You’ll get all the details on that in the recipe.

Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!

The nice thing about soda bread is that not only does it bake up quickly, it’s a versatile bread that can be used at different meals.

I like to serve some to my kids for breakfast, spread thickly with strawberry jam.  Of course, I eat it right alongside them, because I would never pass up a chance to have Irish soda bread.  We toast each other with cups of cold DairyPure brand milk, which is a lovely way to start the day.  DairyPure brand milk comes from your local dairy and is backed by a 5-Point Purity Promise, making it an easy choice when shopping for milk.

Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!

Save your soda bread leftovers for afternoon snack!  You can do what I do, and cut a few pieces to make chocolate peanut butter sandwiches for when they get hungry at the end of the day.  They love it when I serve TruMoo Chocolate Milk with their sandwiches.  The great thing about TruMoo Chocolate Milk is that it’s the perfect balance of nutritious and delicious, so they’re happy and I’m happy, too.

Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!

Tips for Making Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

  • Irish soda bread is best made and eaten the same day.  After cooling completely, store airtight.
  • I like to make a really deep cross-shaped cut in the loaf.  The expansion not only allow it to cook completely in the middle (the thickest part), but it looks really cool!
  • For another option, try slathering it with salted butter and a drizzle of warm, raw honey.
  • I love to bake on a pizza stone!  You can spend a lot of money on a fancy one, but I usually just pick up a bargain baking stone that performs well.  That way, if it cracks—and they all do eventually—it’s not a big loss to replace it.  This Wilton ceramic pizza stone is a steal for just $12.

Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!

Note: if you need a gluten free soda bread, try this recipe.

Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!
4.91 from 10 votes
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Soda Bread Without Buttermilk

Love soda bread but have no buttermilk? This simple recipe for soda bread without buttermilk is the solution. Easy to make, and tastes absolutely delicious!
Course Bread
Cuisine Irish
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 281 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 cups milk approximately
  • 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  1. If you have a baking stone, place it on the center oven rack. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Add the vinegar to 2 cup or larger measuring vessel. Add enough milk to equal a total 2 cups of liquid. Let sit for a minute while you prep the dry ingredients.
  3. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly. Make a well in the center and pour in the soured milk. Mix lightly with a fork until the dough comes together.
  4. Lightly flour a surface. Tip the dough onto the floured surface, then flour your hands. Gently knead the dough a couple of times, for about 20 seconds. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the dough in two equal pieces.
  5. Gently shape the pieces into round loaves, flattening slightly on top. Use your knife to cut a deep cross into the top of each loaf.
  6. Place in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Soda Bread Without Buttermilk
Amount Per Serving
Calories 281 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 6mg2%
Sodium 523mg23%
Potassium 151mg4%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Calcium 79mg8%
Iron 3.1mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Comments

  1. Sarh S

    I’m not sure if I’ve ever had soda bread, although I probably have since I am a huge bread lover. This sounds so tasty, I’d love to try your recipe.

    Reply

    • Ginny

      5 stars
      I’ve just made this during the “lockdown” and we love it. It was so easy – the fact that it doesn’t need yeast or buttermilk made it a doddle to create.
      My stepson enjoyed a warm piece for breakfast and we toasted it for lunch.
      I baked it in a Le Creuset “Dutch Oven” with the lid off, and sprinkled with flour at the bottom so that it didn’t no stick. Though, it probably wouldn’t stick, anyway?
      Thank you!

      Reply

      • Katie Moseman

        A little flour on the bottom is a great idea if you’re using foil. If you use parchment paper, you can probably skip the flour sprinkling, but either way there’s no harm in it. So glad you enjoyed it! Try my fluffy tortillas some time, they’re great!

        Reply

    • michael kirk-smith

      You don’t need vinegar either. Here’s a note I sent to a friend today explaining:

      “Btw, sister Elizabeth gave me a foolproof Jamie Oliver recipe bread recipe – here’s the original – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD6w6Tt9sAI – he takes 37 mins over it.

      I’ve adapted it – I mix one baked bean tin of wholemeal flour, half a baked bean tin of milk, half a teaspoon of salt, and a slightly heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda – it takes me 6-7 mins to do it from scratch. I put the dough into a cake tin (mine is 19cmx9cmx5cm) with lining and bake at 180C for 40 mins. Have a go! Previously, I’d be weighing flour and milk and souring the milk, etc., much more time consuming.

      It’s very N.Irish – we call the wholemeal version “wheaten bread” (the white flour “soda farl” version is made on a griddle rather than the oven). What’s interesting is that we’ve always been told since childhood that buttermilk or milk soured by vinegar is needed to react with the bicarb soda to give CO2 to raise the dough. But his recipe just uses milk – I queried Elizabeth about if she’d got it right and she said “No, definitely just milk”. So I looked up the chemistry of bicarb soda and found that it breaks down to CO2 under heat anyway – amazing to find this out – it just goes to show that the folk wisdom isn’t always right.”

      I’ve never had a bad result.

      Reply

  2. Gwendolyn Mulholland

    Soda bread is super tasty and I always run into recipes I want to make that require buttermilk but have non on hand. I learned the trick of using vinegar with regular milk for a friend and now I don’t have to worry about having buttermilk. This recipe is making me want some fresh bread so I might be baking tomorrow.

    Reply

  3. Sage

    I’ve never had soda bread, and I think I’ve been missing out! I’ve pinned the recipe, and will be trying it when my bread loving stepson is staying with us. Thanks for an easy bread recipe, which looks impressively handmade and rustic!

    Reply

  4. Becca Wilson

    I have never had soda bread, but this looks so delicious. I have saved this for something for me to try. I hope that mine turns out as well as yours looks!

    Reply

  5. Chantal

    I have never made soda bread before so I guess its about time to give it a try. My friend makes it often and I always eat it like crazy when she does. I will have to give it a try, maybe with almond flower?

    Reply

  7. Mrs Fleur

    I really enjoyed making this bread with my son – nice and simple for a three year old to help with. It was yummy to eat too! Thank you 🙂

    Reply

  8. Marie Bass

    I’ve tried making soda bread with all sorts of recipes. My mum used to make it & I loved it but I’ve never managed to get it quite like mums. . This is by far the best & simplest recipe I have ever used. The bread was fabulous. My husband also said it was the best he’s ever tasted!! Result!!! Thank you so much.

    Reply

  10. Abbey

    Just put this into the oven! I was at the store and could only find soda bread with raisins (which I hate) so I was like whatever I’ll just make it. Came home and was like $h*t really t soda bread had like four ingredients and I seriously don’t have one?! So I came across this and am giving it a try! I’ll be sure to give you a shoutout on my blog with pics after ?

    Reply

  11. Theresa

    I make yoghurt so always have a supply of whey from straining it. I use the whey instead of milk or buttermilk to make scones and soda bread – it is perfect for the job!

    Reply

  13. Norah

    5 stars
    I have a group of wannabe irish speakers getting together this evening and we are so lucky to have found an Irish teacher here in Burlungton/hamilton. So the soda bread will be a great hit.
    Thank you for this very simple recipe. Norah

    Reply

  14. Zoe

    4 stars
    I’m just baking this right now. My 20 month old has really enjoyed it. We are having this so I don’t have to go to the shop. We had everything in. Can’t wait to see how it comes out.

    Reply

  15. Victoria

    5 stars
    This recipe is absolutely delish! Of course I also happened to be out of white vinengar (go figure! Lol) but I did have a fresh lemon, so I subbed the fresh squeezed juice in for that part instead. All three of my children (and myself!) devoured their warm buttery/honey’d pieces right up! Will definitely be using this recipe again and again. I can already tell it’s going to pair well with our hearty chicken and wild rice soup for dinner tonight 😊 Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      I’ve never personally tried it, but from what I’ve read, you can make “buttermilk” from coconut milk using the same proportions as dairy milk plus vinegar (1 tablespoon vinegar in a 1 cup measure, then fill the cup with coconut milk).

      Reply

  17. Kevin

    Just made this tonight and it was awesome. I am terrible at baking but this was easy. The entire family loved it. The kids ate it with peanutbutter!

    Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      I have not tried it with almond milk, but I think it would most likely work. I often swap in coconut milk beverage in baking without having any trouble. It’s more fatty than almond milk, though.

      Reply

  19. Mark Harrison

    5 stars
    During the Coronavirus lockdown here in England, we’ve not been able to get yeast… so I looked for ways of making bread that used baking soda instead. Finally found one that didn’t need buttermilk.

    I made it yesterday, and my 17-daughter and 15-yo son loved it (as did I), to the extent that my son actually volunteered to help make it today.

    For those in the UK, the conversion from “cups” to “UK way of measuring things” is a bit odd, since we use different ways of measuring liquids (volume) and flour (weight.) But what I came out with were:

    2 tablespoons of white vinegar
    16 fl ozs of milk

    500g of flour
    1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
    1 teaspoon of salt
    1 teaspoon of sugar

    Reply

  20. Cindy

    In the oven right now, it smells heavenly. So easy to make. The dough was sticky is that normal. I couldn’t cut it with a knife before baking it. I. Going to make honey butter to spread on it when it’s done.

    Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      Depending on the particular flour and its water absorption properties, yes, the dough can definitely be a bit sticky. I usually flour my fingers when handling the uncooked dough.

      Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      Most likely, yes. I have not tried using vinegar to curdle almond milk, but the principal is similar. I usually use coconut milk beverage when I want to do it dairy free.

      Reply

  26. Ashley H.

    5 stars
    I had the urge to make Irish soda bread yesterday, but I didn’t have any buttermilk. After a bit of searching, I found your recipe, which I made today. It turned out great! I just finished baking it! I didn’t have a pizza stone so I just used a baking sheet with parchment paper on it (and a bit of flour just in case). I think I’ll make it again soon

    Reply

  27. Edward Kreis

    5 stars
    Quick and easy to make. Flavors can be changed up. I used apple vinegar and added garlic into the batter.
    I also buttered the pan with ghee, then basted the top with ghee before cutting the cross. Another touch, I sprinkled the the top with sesame seeds. Once baked, some Maldon sprinkled on top. My wife liked it so much, I am baking another loaf as I type this.

    For the buttermilk substitute, I have used fresh lemon juice, champagne vinegar and white vinegar in the past. Any acid works, but I find that the apple vinegar adds just the right touch of sweetness.

    Reply

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