Irish Soda Bread {No Yeast Needed!} (2024)

FAQs

Why does Irish soda bread not need yeast? ›

The baking soda does the job of yeast and makes the bread rise. Since it's not as powerful as yeast, the bread is dense rather than fluffy. It's beautiful and delicious!

However, the two loaves differ pretty significantly from there. Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

Instead of using yeast to make the bread rise, quick breads rely on other leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder to get height. "Quick breads, like banana bread, zucchini bread, and cornbread are delicious and easy alternatives to yeast-based bread and can satisfy cravings in a pinch," says Tyler Lee.

Baking Soda

It helps breads rise and gives them their light and airy texture. Unlike yeast, baking soda needs an acid to activate it. By adding an acid to baking soda (such as lemon juice or cream of tartar) a chemical reaction occurs that produces carbon dioxide and fills your bread with air — much like yeast does.

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

This soda bread recipe – which uses bicarbonate of soda rather than yeast – allows you to whip up delicious home-made bread quickly, and give your gut health a massive boost in the process. “Soda bread lends itself beautifully to healthy loaves that are full of nutrition,” says nutritionist Reece Carter.

Irish soda bread was first created in the 1830s, when baking soda was first introduced to the UK. At the time, Ireland was facing financial hardship and lack of resources, so they turned to soda bread out of neccessity, it was inexpensive and required few ingredients.

He explained that in some regions of Ireland, they might add dried fruit to soda bread on special occasions only. Throughout much of Irish history, dried fruit would have been considered a luxury item. Irish cooks would only be able to add raisins when they had raisins to spare, which would have been a rare occurrence.

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

Some differences could be that your bread will not rise as tall as you're used to, the flavor is a little different, or the texture may not be exactly the same. However, if you're out of yeast or don't have the time to wait for your bread to rise, these substitutes will undoubtedly get the job done.

Which bread has the least yeast? ›

It's called Irish Soda Bread because it's made with baking soda instead of yeast. Because of this, it's more dense than your everyday white sandwich bread. Hearty and rustic are the words that come to mind, and it tastes kind of nutty from the wholemeal flour.

NOTE: You cannot bake bread without adding yeast. Yeast is the catalyst that makes bread to rise and form and this is different from cake which does not need yeast. If you don't add yeast, you can not produce bread but biscuit.

Sourdough is naturally leavened bread, which means it doesn't use commercial yeast to rise. Instead, it uses a 'starter' – a fermented flour and water mixture that contains wild yeast and good bacteria – to rise. This also produces the tangy flavour and slightly chewy texture you'll find in sourdough.

Mix together 350g flour, 2 ¾ tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl, add 1 tbsp oil and 170ml water then stir until it forms a ball. If stiff, add more water, it should be soft but not sticky. Knead on a floured surface for 3-4 mins. Roll into 2 balls, then flatten out.

You might have added too much baking soda or baking powder or used self-rising flour. If your bread's texture is dry: You might have added too much baking soda, too little liquid or not baked it at high enough temperature.

There are several possible reasons why your bread may not have risen even though you used fresh yeast. These include: not enough yeast, not activating the yeast, not allowing sufficient time for rising, not kneading the dough enough, not using the right ingredients, or using expired yeast.

Make sure you are using the correct amount of baking soda in the recipe. Too much or too little can result in a crumbly loaf. It's also possible that your oven wasn't hot enough when you baked the bread.