This vegan soda bread features oats and dairy-free butter for a non-traditional but delicious loaf! A bit like a giant biscuit, soda bread is a great alternative to yeasted breads.
Traditionally, soda bread only has a very small handful of ingredients. Flour, salt, buttermilk, and baking soda to leaven. With dairy-free butter and oats added, this vegan soda bread is definitely not traditional, but is very moist and tasty!
It’s a great speedy recipe if you really want bread with dinner, but don’t have 2-3 hours to bake a loaf with yeast. Also good just in case people go wild for yeast again in the shops! Total time is under an hour.
This makes a large family-sized loaf, and it’s deliciously rustic and crumbly, a bit like a big savoury scone. If you like a bit of a crustier outside, bake a little longer to let the loaf turn dark gold and get a nice caramelized flavour boost.
You make your own vegan buttermilk for this recipe, with easy pantry ingredients.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the milk and vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside. This will make your vegan buttermilk.
In a larger bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Add the butter to the flour mixture. Using your thumbs and fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the butter has broken into small flat bits and the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir everything until the dough has almost come together, then switch to mixing with your hands.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth, about 30 times. If the dough is sticking, add sprinkles of flour as needed.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to quickly and gently form the dough into a flat round disc, about 1 inch (2½ cm) in height. Sprinkle the top of the loaf lightly with flour as needed if sticking. Using a sharp knife, slash a large X on the top of the loaf, about ¼ inch (½ cm) deep.
Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake it for 40 to 43 minutes, or until the top is golden. Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer the loaf itself to the wire rack and cool completely before slicing. Serve with butter or with butter and jam.
Tips & Notes
As with most soda breads or scones, this is best eaten the same day it’s baked. It can be stored for a couple of days and toasted before serving.
This is terrific with soups or stews, or as a snack with jam and tea. Savoury or sweet, however you like it!
Halve the recipe if the large loaf is too much for you, but note that the baking time will change. Just keep an eye on it and remove from the oven when it’s good and brown.
Since this is a quick bread, you have to avoid over-mixing or kneading for too long. Don’t melt that butter! Mix until it just comes together, and then shape with a quick, light hand. Keep your ingredients cold as much as possible.
Use a vegan butter you like, especially since this is such a minimal recipe. You will taste it!
Substitutions
If the soda bread doesn’t need to be vegan, use dairy buttermilk and butter. If you have true buttermilk, omit the vinegar from the recipe.
Use up to 50% whole wheat flour for a more wholesome loaf, or go with an alternative flour like spelt or Kamut.
Quick oats can be substituted for the rolled oats if that’s what you have on hand.
White vinegar can be used in place of apple cider if you don’t have any.
More Quick Bread Recipes
Orange Cranberry Scones
Sourdough Banana Bread
Easy Cheese Tea Biscuits
Vegan Bran Muffins
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Loaf
Recipe
Vegan Soda Bread
Description
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- sharp knife
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup plant-based milk, we used oat milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup large flake oats, also called rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup dairy-free butter, cold from the fridge
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the milk and vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a larger bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture. Using your thumbs and fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the butter has broken into small flat bits and the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir everything until the dough has almost come together, then switch to mixing with your hands.
- Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until smooth, about 30 times. If the dough is sticking, add sprinkles of flour as needed.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to quickly and gently form the dough into a flat round disc, about 1 inch (2½ cm) in height. Sprinkle the top of the loaf lightly with flour as needed if sticking.
- Using a sharp knife, slash a large X on the top of the loaf, about ¼ inch (½ cm) deep.
- Place the loaf in the preheated oven and bake it for 40 to 43 minutes, or until the top is golden.
- Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the loaf itself to the wire rack and cool completely before slicing. Serve with butter or with butter and jam.
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