In December, I got an e-mail from Nancy asking me to re-work a recipe for Irish Soda Bread making it gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I saved the e-mail thinking I’d get to it someday.
Well, someday is here – just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, too.
The truth is that I’d never had Irish Soda Bread before making this loaf so I wasn’t sure what to look for as far as taste and texture. Luckily, last week we made Irish Soda Bread in my Breads & Rolls class so I got to touch it, smell it, and see what the crumb should look like.
Chef said that the most classic flavor pairing was caraway and currants so that’s what I went for in this loaf. Let me tell you something – if you’ve never had caraway and currants together you simply must stop what you’re doing and make this loaf of bread. The earthiness of the caraway combined with the sweetness of the currants and the whole-grain feel of the bread is like a little bit of heaven in every bite.
I like it sliced with a little bit of butter. I like it plain. I just really, really like it.
Don’t let the very long recipe intimidate you – this is a simple bread to make. I’ve included instructions for baking it on a pizza stone and on a sheet pan.
Other gluten-free breads you might like:
- Popovers from Gluten-Free Easily
- Irish Soda Bread from Jules Gluten-Free
- Gluten-Free Brioche Cinnamon Buns from The Culinary Life: Gluten-Free Cooking with Wasabimon.com
Irish Soda Bread
makes 1 loaf
adapted from The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread1 cup (230 g) buttermilk
1 extra large (54 g) eggs
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (260 g) Amy’s Basic Flour Blend
1 teaspoon (3 g) xanthan gum
3 tablespoons (31 g) coconut palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons (25 g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (55 g) currants
1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) caraway seedsPreheat the oven to 400F. If using a pizza stone, make sure it’s in the oven. Turn a baking sheet upside down, lay a piece of parchment paper on it, then oil it lightly. If not using a pizza stone, prepare a baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment or line it with a silicone baking mat.
Combine the buttermilk, eggs, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside to let the baking soda start to work.
Add the flour blend, xanthan gum, palm sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse several times to combine. Add butter and process until it’s the size of small peas.
Transfer the flour mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the currants and caraway seeds until it’s evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl well while stirring. The dough will be very thick.
Using a rubber spatula, shape the dough into a ball then wet your hands and transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Form into a round disk shape and then use an oiled knife or a bowl scraper to score the dough into 5 pieces. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour.
If using a pizza stone, gently slide the loaf from the back of the baking sheet onto the stone. Otherwise, put the baking sheet in the oven. Turn the oven down to 375F. Rotate the bread 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. If it browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until the bread has baked through. If you have an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 200F.
Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
