Spelt Soda Bread (Vegan)

This post is part of two I am making today as part of a combo that I made today but thought it would be easier if they were on different posts. The one that is going with it is Spiced Onion Marmalade and makes an absolutely wonderful combination.

I made this bread as part of my Sunday morning bake and is a great option if you want to bake a loaf quickly. I had never made soda bread before but like the idea of it as there is no yeast and you do not have to wait ages for it to rise.

Using spelt flour in this recipe makes it easier for your body to digest as it is less processed and more like the natural wheat that we used to eat and so causes less problems with intolerance and other similar issues. It is also an excellent source of dietary fibre and of phosphorus.

When I was making this most of the recipes I found were just normal dairy recipes and I adapted them to be a vegan recipe. To do this I used soya milk and the main reason for this is that the original recipe called for butter milk and so I mixed the soya milk with some lemon juice in order to curdle it. You will not get as strong a reaction from other vegan milks but if you avoid soy then try almond milk or it might work well with coconut milk.

I have a pizza stone that I baked this bread on and it is a great way to cook bread in the oven but if you do not have one then you could use a lined baking tray. You could also use a loaf dish however I would go with a ceramic one rather than a metal one, I have a great one, obviously inherited that is made form terracotta and would work really well if I wanted to make it more loaf shaped.

If you want to impress people with fresh bread for breakfast or any time and you don’t have loads of time or don’t want to wait then give this simple soda bread recipe a go, you will have warm fresh bread ready to eat in less than an hour.

Spelt Soda Bread

Makes 1 loaf (about 12 slices)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients

300g/10.5oz wholegrain spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
230ml soya milk
1 tbs lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 230C/445F/Gas Mark 8 and place a baking stone (or pizza stone) in oven to warm.

2. Mix the soya milk and lemon juice in a jug and set aside for about 10 mins which should be enough time for the milk to slightly curdle.

3. Lightly flour your work surface and then mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.

4. Pour milk and lemon juice into well in dry ingredients and use a scraper to combine all the ingredients well. This should take a couple of minutes and there should be no dry patches left.

5. Turn dough out onto work surface and flour your hands and shape dough into ball then place on baking stone in oven and use scraper to make a cross in top.

6. Bake bread in oven for 15-20 mins or until bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

7. Enjoy with a lovely Spiced Onion Marmalade

Nutrition Information is based on 12 slices per loaf.