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Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread
5 from 26 votes

Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread

Easy Wholemeal Soda Bread is a hearty, rustic loaf made with wholemeal flour, bicarbonate of soda as a leavening agent, salt, and buttermilk. It produces a dense yet tender bread with a characteristic deep cross cut on top to ensure even baking. The bread offers a wholesome texture and mild flavor, suitable to accompany soups, salads, or cheese plates.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 170 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish

Ingredients

  • 350 g wholemeal flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (see notes)
  • 285 ml buttermilk (for alternatives see notes)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C / gas mark 7 / 425F. Dust a baking tray (I actually use a pizza tray) with a little plain flour.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly. Tip in the buttermilk and stir to combine.
  3. Keep stirring until the ingredients come together as a dough, then squidge together to form a ball.
  4. Place the ball of dough on your baking tray and cut a deep cross in the centre. This is really important as it helps the centre of the bread to cook properly – so cut nice and deep, almost to the bottom.
  5. If you wish, you can dust the loaf with a little flour, then place the bread in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Serve with soup, salad, or cheese, olives and cold meats.

Notes

  • Substitute buttermilk with 200ml milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar for a similar acid effect.
  • You can use natural yogurt as an alternative to buttermilk.
  • For dairy-free or vegan versions, replace regular milk with dairy-free milk and add an acid like lemon juice or vinegar.
  • Ensure you use bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), not baking powder, to get the proper rise.
  • This bread freezes well for convenient storage and later use.

Nutrition Information

Calories 170kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 2g (3%) Cholesterol 3mg (1%) Sodium 465mg (19%) Potassium 206mg (4%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 60IU (1%) Calcium 56mg (6%) Iron 1.6mg (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 170

% Daily Value*

Calories 170kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 2g 3%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 465mg 19%
Potassium 206mg 4%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 60IU 1%
Calcium 56mg 6%
Iron 1.6mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.