Classic Irish Rye Soda Bread
Fast And Easy Way To Make Delicious Homemade Bread
This Classic Irish Rye Soda Bread is my fail safe way to make a bread that is sure to rise. This bread is so versatile to go with so many foods. It is great for breakfast toast, sandwiches and a side for dipping in your soup. If you like rye bread this is a must try and guaranteed that the whole family will enjoy.
How To Make Classic Irish Rye Soda Bread
Rye has always been one of my favorite breads because it has so much flavor. It really does add to the taste of whatever else you are eating with it. I use Bob’s Red Mill organic stone ground dark rye flour in this recipe. It has a hearty flavor but not too strong like some other dark rye flour I have used in the past. This one is just right for my taste. For the white flour I just use an organic All-purpose white flour.
Being that I am a vegan I substitute the buttermilk for coconut milk and add two teaspoons of white wine vinegar. This makes a really nice buttermilk substitution. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and it will start to bubble a little. Then it will be curdled and ready to use for the bread. If you are using regular buttermilk only use 1 2/3 cup of it so that the bread isn’t too moist.
This is one of the many foods that I like to bake in a skillet. (A glass baking dish or baking pan can be used instead. Just oil it well) The first time I made this I was greatly surprised that it didn’t burn. A cast iron skillet gets so hot. The Classic Irish Rye Soda Bread was cooked just perfect! I believe the trick to this method is to coat the surface of the skillet well with oil. You can use a good organic vegetable oil, but I use grape seed oil and it works really well. Grape seed oil doesn’t have any flavor so it doesn’t add any unwanted flavors to the bread.
When you take the bread out of the oven make sure to let it rest for ten minutes or more. Put it on a bakers rack and let the bread cool. Even after ten minutes the bread will be steaming, just like in my video. When serving, cut the bread straight across the loaf into thin slices. If you like dense bread you will love this close-textured loaf. Plus, while it’s hot out of the oven slather on the vegan butter or your favorite spread. It’s so good!
The ingredients I use for this bread are so simple. This is a bread I can make every day. Mind you there is an option in using the caraway seeds. Not all people like them as much as I do. The oatmeal, sunflower seeds and caraway seeds put on as a crust topping are also optional. Some people just put the oats, but I like all of it. Of course! Right?! I hope you enjoy this Classic Irish Rye Soda Bread as much as we do.
Classic Irish Rye Soda Bread
Equipment
- 2 Large mixing bowls
- 2 Large mixing spoons
- 1 Set of measuring cups
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
- 1 9 inch cast iron skillet or baking sheet
- 1 Bakers cooling rack
- 1 Sharp bread knife
- 1 Pastry brush
Ingredients
Irish Rye Soda Bread (dry ingredients)
- 2 cups Dark Rye or Rye Flour
- 2 cups Organic All-Purpose White Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Caraway Seeds, Optional
- 1¼ tsp Sea Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1¾ cup Coconut Milk, if using regular buttermilk do not add the white wine vinegar and only use 1⅔ cup of regular buttermilk.
- 2 tsp White Wine Vinegar, mix with coconut milk and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
- ¼ cup Melted Vegan Butter, or butter of choice
Irish Rye Soda Bread Toppings
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Milk
- ½ tsp Caraway Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Oats
Skillet
- 2 to 3 Tbsp Organic Vegetable Oil or Grapeseed Oil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°
- In a large mixing bowl add the coconut milk and white wine vinegar together and set aside to curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl add all of the dry ingredients. Add the dark rye flour, organic white all-purpose flour, baking soda, caraway seeds and sea salt and stir it together really well. Make a well in the middle of the flour to pour your wet mixture into it when it is ready. Set this bowl aside.
- Melt your butter in the microwave and then pour it into the large bowl of curdled coconut milk. Mix together and then pour it into the well hole that was created in the dry ingredient bowl.
- Stir all the ingredients together with a large spoon. When the ingredients clump together you can then use your hands. Make sure to add flour to your hands to keep your hands from sticking to the dough. Add extra flour to the soda bread or surface as needed as you mix it and knead together. It will be soft and very doughy. Knead the dough only briefly to mix it together until there are no dry spots. Shape the dough into a ball. Set the ball of dough aside.
- Oil your cast iron skillet with organic vegetable oil or grapeseed oil.
- Put the ball of dough in the middle of the skillet. With a pastry brush, brush the coconut milk on the surface of the top of the round ball of dough. Then sprinkle the oats, sunflower seeds and caraway seeds on top. Pat the seeds and oats on the dough with your hands.
- Put the skillet and bread into the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until top and bottom are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack completely before slicing.
- The bread is good for three to four days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
- Enjoy!