No-knead Seeded Irish Soda Bread with buttermilk

This no-knead seeded Irish soda bread with buttermilk is a super easy recipe. There's absolutely no kneading involved, you simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl and bake! It's packed with seeds and is perfect for dunking in your favourite soup!

A few years ago I was lucky enough to have a six-month assignment working in Ireland, and I absolutely loved it! We lived in a flat on the 13th floor, with amazing views of the country on one side and the Irish Sea on the other.

Downstairs was a little bakery selling homemade bread and cakes, and the most delicious wholewheat Irish soda bread, packed with seeds with a crispy yet chewy crust. That bread, along with a few slices of ham and some fresh tomatoes formed a large part of my diet during the time I lived there! I couldn't get enough of it!

Once I got back home, I had to try my hand at making Irish soda bread myself. And this recipe is the result. It's not 100% the same as the bread I fell in love with in Ireland, but I think it comes pretty close.

I've used a combination of wholewheat and plain flour for a light yet firm texture, and packed it with plenty of seeds for a satisfying crunch. I've also added a little black treacle (or molasses) to add a slightly malted taste.

There is no yeast in this bread. Insead, buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda are used. The buttermilk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide which cause the dough to rise. The beauty of this is that you don't have to spend hours kneading the dough. This is a true dump-and-mix recipe that takes only minutes to prepare.

This seeded Irish soda bread is delicious when served fresh from the oven, smeared with butter. Or you can use it to mop up the juices from your favourite soup or stew. Why not serve it alongside this Irish seafood chowder or my popular beef vegetable soup?

Not the best picture, but I included it to give you an idea of the texture of the bread.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips for a successful outcome
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• Save for later
• Related recipes
• 📋The recipe

Ingredients

This makes a 10" x 4" loaf or you could use a 5" x 8" tin instead.

• Wholewheat or wholemeal flour is milled from the entire wheat grain and contains the husk or bran and is less refined than normal white flour . See what is wholemeal flour for more information.
• Plain flour - for this recipe, we are going to be using half plain (or all purpose) flour and half wholewheat flour.
• Buttermilk - this provides the liquid component. If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by combining one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice and letting it stand for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and curdle.
• Black treacle - you may know this as molasses. It has a slightly bitter taste when you taste it directly from the tin, but this turns into more of a malty taste in the bread. You can leave this out if you don't have it.

Tip - dip your measuring spoon into oil before measuring out the black treacle. The treacle will slide easily off your spoon.

• Seeds - I used a mixture of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds (or flax) and sesame seeds. Most supermarkets sell packets of mixed seeds- you could use the equivalent amount of this instead of buying individual packs of seeds.
• Bicarbonate of soda - this reacts with the buttermilk to help the bread rise.
• Baking powder (not pictured) - although not strictly necessary I like to add a teaspoon of baking powder. I've made this bread both with and without baking powder and find that using baking powder does help create a better rise.
• Sugar - just a small amount of sugar helps to counteract the bitterness of the black treacle.
• Salt -for seasoning. Leave it out if you don't use salt in your diet.
• Sunflower oil - a small amount helps create a softer texture in the bread. Do not use olive oil - the flavour will be too strong - you should use a neutral-flavoured oil.

**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Instructions

Mixing this Irish soda bread will take all of 5 minutes!

Tips for a successful outcome

Here are my top tips to ensure your seeded Irish soda bread turns out perfectly:

• If you don't have buttermilk, here are some alternatives:
  • mix one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice for each cup of milk and let it stand for a few minutes until it thickens.
  • add one and three-quarter teaspoons of cream of tarter to each cup of milk.
  • substitute one cup of plain Greek or natural yoghurt for each cup of buttermilk.
• When mixing the buttermilk into the flour, do not add all the buttermilk at once. The amount you will need will depend on the strength of the flour. Keep 2 or 3 tablespoons aside and only add them if the mixture seems too dry. You are looking for a sticky consistency that has come together in a ball and does not stick to the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be thicker than a cake batter, but too sticky to roll out as you would a pastry dough.
• If you don't have baking parchment, brush your baking tin lightly with sunflower oil to ensure the cooked bread does not stick to the pan.
• When sprinkling the pumpkin seeds onto the top of the dough, press them down lightly. This will ensure they stick to the top of the bread once it has cooked. The first time I made this loaf I did not do this and all the seeds fell off when I tried to slice it.
• The soda bread will be cooked when a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part (or the centre) of the loaf comes out cleanly with no raw batter sticking to it. It will also sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Let the soda bread cool before slicing it. If you try to slice it while it is still hot, it will crumble.

Equipment

I made this loaf in a long 10" x 4" loaf tin which has a 40" surface area. You could use a 5" x 8" tin instead.

I do think that a metal loaf tin is better to use than a glass dish as metal is a better conductor of heat and warms up faster than glass. If you use a glass dish to bake your soda bread it may need another minute or two in the oven.

You will also need a mixing bowl and a spatula for mixing the dough.

Storage

I normally store my soda bread in a plastic bag in my bread bin. It stays fresh for 3 to 4 days.

You can also freeze the cooked load.

Wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in your freezer for up to 6 months.

To use, remove from the plastic wrap, cover it with a clean towel and let it stand on the counter until it has defrosted.

FAQ

Save for later

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Related recipes

Visit my bread and scone recipes page for other delicious and easy bread recipes. Here are a few you might enjoy.

📋The recipe

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