This delicious gluten-free sourdough Irish soda bread is soft and biscuity on the inside with a crunchy buttery exterior. The use of sourdough discard and buttermilk make this bread moist and oh so flavorful! This is a perfect recipe to use up any extra starter you have on hand. It doesn’t need to be St Patrick’s Day to enjoy this quick and easy bread.
- Ingredient Substitutions
- Tips
- How to Enjoy this Bread
- How to Store this Bread
- How to Reheat Frozen Slices
- How to Make in Advance
- Summary
Ingredient Substitutions
You will find a list of possible substitutions in the “notes” section of the recipe card. But I will include them for you here as well.
- Gluten-Free Sourdough Starter – for this recipe cold discard is the best as you don’t need it to rise the bread. Your starter can be fed with any grain or even grain-free.
- Tapioca – arrowroot powder
- Millet – brown rice flour
- Sorghum – GF oat flour
- Cane Sugar – maple sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar
- Buttermilk – plain yogurt, kefir, or homemade cashew milk
Tips
- Make sure your wet ingredients are cold. This makes the dough easier to work with and also gives the bread a nice crunchy exterior.
- Gradually add the buttermilk. You might not need it all or you might need to add a little more depending on the flour you are using. Different brands and also milling your own grains can affect the hydration needed. Some flours absorb more water than others.
- Don’t try to shape this dough. It doesn’t hold together very well and can’t be manipulated, but it does turn out wonderfully so don’t worry about the shape. The recipe does not contain xanthan gum or psyllium husk so it is delicate.
How to Enjoy this Bread
This soda bread makes a delicious snack, breakfast, or alongside a hearty stew or soup. Here are some ways my family has been enjoying eating it lately.
- Slathered with butter (and a touch of honey sometimes)
- Topped with peanut butter and sliced bananas (this is my favorite!)
- Jam and butter
- With an egg or two on top for breakfast as an open-faced sandwich. Don’t try to pick it up though as it will fall apart!
How to Store this Bread
Make sure to let the bread cool completely before storing. It will stay fresh in a bread bag for 2-3 days at room temperature, but it will start to dry out.
My preference is to slice the bread as soon as it cools and freeze the slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and transfer the slices to a freezer bag once frozen. It makes it so convenient to pull out a slice to heat up when you want it.
How to Reheat Frozen Slices
To reheat frozen slices – place them on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. I would not recommend toasting because the bread is too delicate and will fall apart in the toaster.
How to Make in Advance
You can make this bread the day before you want to bake it. Just mix up the ingredients in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then follow the instructions to bake it the next day. This method will develop even more flavor!
Summary
I hope you enjoy this recipe and it becomes a staple in your home as it has in mine. Please consider leaving a rating and review if you try this recipe, I would so appreciate it! Also, please share it with friends and family who might benefit from a fantastic gluten-free sourdough soda bread option.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Irish Soda Bread
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen Scale
- 1 Offset Spatula
Ingredients
- 150 g tapioca flour
- 113 g millet flour
- 113 g sorghum flour
- 35 g cane sugar
- 4 g salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 57 g cold butter cut in cubes
- 100 g gluten-free sourdough starter discard
- 1 large egg
- 227 g buttermilk
- 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing
Instructions
- Place an 8 inch cast iron skillet in your oven on the middle rack. Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the tapioca, millet, sorghum, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.150 g tapioca flour, 113 g millet flour, 113 g sorghum flour, 35 g cane sugar, 4 g salt, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda
- Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and work it in with your hands or a pastry cutter.57 g cold butter
- To a small mixing bowl, add the gf sourdough starter and egg and whisk to combine.100 g gluten-free sourdough starter, 1 large egg
- Add the starter/egg mixture to the flour/butter and stir to combine.
- Gradually add the buttermilk until a dough forms and there is no dry flour left in the bowl.227 g buttermilk
- Add a little melted butter to the hot cast iron skillet and swirl it to coat the bottom. Dump the dough into the skillet and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.1 tbsp melted butter
- Using a knife or lame, cut a cross hatch on the top of the dough. Brush with melted butter and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400℉ and continue baking for 30 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the skillet and place it on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours.
Notes
- Tapioca – arrowroot powder
- Millet – brown rice flour
- Sorghum – GF oat flour
- Maple Sugar – cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar
- Buttermilk – plain yogurt, kefir, or homemade cashew milk
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