Oat Soda Bread Recipe
A rustic oat soda bread you can make in less than an hour. Seriously. Made from a simple ingredient list of rolled oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.
I love making soda bread. Homemade bread slathered with butter in less than an hour? Hard to beat. There are a million directions you can take soda breads, but the rye version I bake is a long-running favorite. I've never posted it here, but I include it in Super Natural Every Day. So, here's where things start to get interesting. One of the things I love about the internet is the ping-pong culture of ideas. Here's an example. Ten Speed sent out advance copies of the book to a number of food writers/editors a few weeks back. One of them was Jennifer Perillo. I follow Jennifer on Twitter. And last week she mentioned baking an oat soda bread based on the soda bread recipe in my book. Her bread looked beautiful. It's like I threw out a polka-dotted boomerang, and it came back to me plaid. So I decided to bake oat soda bread, based on Jennifer's version, adding a few twists of my own.
I'm not sure why I've never done an oat-centric soda bread, but the minute I saw Jennifer's it made perfect sense. The ingredient list is impossibly short: rolled oats, flour, buttermilk, baking soda, and salt - and some seeds if you like. I normally bake soda breads free-form, but I decided to try this one in a loaf pan. As I was making it, Wayne finished off a container of crackers, the only thing left was a couple of tablespoons of seeds, so I sprinkled those across the top of the bread, just before baking, to give it a crunchy crust.
The bread bakes up fragrant and a touch sweet from the oats. It is fantastic sliced and toasted along with a bowl of soup. Or slathered with jam and butter. Or with a creamy cheese and a sprinkling of herbs. I know I say it nearly every time I post a recipe like this, if you've never baked bread before, give it a go. Or if this doesn't look up your alley, you might find some ideas on Michael Ruhlman's blog right now. It's a great time of year for bread baking. Thanks again for the inspiration Jennifer :).
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Oat Soda Bread Recipe
I'm more likely to have rolled oats on hand than oat flour. So, like Jennifer, I instruct you to make your own oat flour below. But you can skip that step if you actually have oat flour in your pantry. As far as storage goes, loosely wrapped in parchment paper, this bread is great for a couple days.
butter, to grease pan
2 cups / 7 oz rolled oats10 ounces / 285 g / ~2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt1 3/4 cups / 415 ml buttermilk, plus more if needed, and 2T. for brushing
mixed seeds - sesame, caraway, poppy, etc.
Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C with a rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and line a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan (or one with ~8 cup capacity) with parchment paper and set aside. Alternately, you can bake this bread without a pan, shaped like this, on a lightly floured baking sheet.
To make the oat flour, use a food processor to pulse the rolled oats a few times. Then process into a fine powder - another minute or two. If you are buying oat flour, not making your own, measure out 7 oz / scant 2 cups.
Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the buttermilk. Stir just until everything comes together into a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for 30 seconds or so, just long enough for the dough to come together into a cohesive, slightly flattened ball without many cracks or fissures. If your dough is on the dry side, add more buttermilk a small splash at a time. Now ease the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan - see photo if you need a bit of guidance.
Brush all over the top and sides with buttermilk and sprinkle generously with mixed seeds or flour, 2 tablespoons or so. Slice a few deep slashes across the top of the dough. Bake for about 30 minutes, then quickly (without letting all the hot air out of the oven), move the rack and the bread up a level, so the top of the bread gets nice and toasted. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until a hard crust forms and the bread is baked through. It will feel very solid and sound hollow when you knock on it. Carefully lift it out of the pan, in a timely fashion, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with a good slathering of salted butter.
Makes one loaf.
Prep time: 10 minutes - Cook time: 50 minutes
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I just made this bread this morning and substituted one cup of WW flour for the regular. Still turned out great. Wonderful with butter (we like unsalted) and honey. Probably rises a little more w/o the WW flour.
For those wanting to avoid wheat, I just made this substituting all-purpose flour with exact amount of spelt flour and it came out just fine.
I made the rye flour soda bread from your new book. Homemade soda bread is traditional in Ireland and we would have had a couple of batches a week when I was growing up. By the time the oven heats up, you can have a batch ready to put in the oven. Although it is best eaten the day it is made, there is no better partner for smoked salmon than brown soda bread. I would not recommend adding sunflower seeds – they seem to react with the buttermilk and turn an unappetizing green, I’ve never added rye flour. Your recipe for rye soda bread was great in terms of flavour, texture and crust and loved by all the family. It also kept well for three days, a little better than regular soda bread.
I make this almost every week (with all whole wheat flour – dense but tasty!). It’s our staple recipe. Thank you so much!
Well I’ve never come across a recipe that I’ve had to run off and make right now before but this one’s in the oven and smelling great. I added some ground almonds and peanuts (had a few knocking around that needed using up) and a teaspoon of honey so wish me luck!
Love this recipe! Better put, I LOVE all of your recipes. I have yet to make one of your recipes without “oohs” and “aahs” from family and friends. So simple and straightforward. I’m able to execute most of them in my apartment without a microwave, food processor, or blender. That makes me happy. I’ve made this soda bread twice now and both times my dough has started out extra dry, but nothing a few splashes of buttermilk couldn’t bring together. Thanks for sharing your passion! Highly Inspirational to a 20-year-old natural foods nut.
Thank you. Friends are still asking about this recipe. I made it last week and doubled the recipe. It was the hit of the party. The crunchy crust was perfect.
HS: So happy to hear it Dorothy!
This is a wonderful bread! It has a terrific flavor and structure. I had a leftover egg yolk and used it for brushing before putting it in the oven, which made for an especially glistening crust.
You know, I actually have oat flour on hand (thanks to Kim Boyce!). And so simple? How can I not bake this very soon?
I made this last night and it was AWESOME!
The crust is just so flavorful! I used flax seed instead of a mix b/c that’s all I had. After the bread cooled I used it to make a grilled sandwich – double yum!
All people deserve good life time and business loans or short term loan can make it much better. Just because people’s freedom bases on money state.
I made this Soda Bread tonight to go with a pot of chlii, and it came out great. The crunchiness and flavor of the seeds on top really make it – I used poppy, sesame and caraway. I have baked many breads, but don’t think I ever made Soda Bread.I had some cut lemons sitting next to the bread when I pulled it out of the oven, and the fragrance made me wish I had added some lemon rind to the Soda Bread – will have to try that next time. I
I finally made this bread a few weeks ago for my husband who loves soda bread–I was never really convinced but I am now. It’s so delicious.
I always love how fresh your recipes are! I just finished off some zucchini muffins yesterday morning and we needed something new for breakfast. I was short on time but saw this quick bread recipe and new it would be a winner! and it certainly was!! It was put together in just a few minutes and then I popped it in the oven while I finished up some work! My kitchen smelled delicious, I had the flexibility to keep working AND I had fantastic bread for the morning! Thanks for sharing!!
HS: Happy you liked it Hillary.
I love Irish Soda Bread and this is no exception! I made it up on a rainy SF day with a pot of white bean soup while on the rebound from the flu. I followed your directions and it came out perfectly. However, I did make one adjustment and used 1 c. of whole wheat flour for some of the white flour. Also I cooked it as a free form loaf and for about 8 minutes extra to get the center to 210 degrees F. I think I’m on to the Broccoli Cheddar soup next with all of this rain! Thanks!
Just made this yesterday, and it turned out so great! Didn’t have any special sort of butter, so I mixed up a stick of regular salted butter with some extra salt and italian seasoning and it was delicious. Awesome recipe, thank you!
Wow, I love making my own bread and this looks great. I will definitely give this a go.
I made this recipe a couple weeks ago. It was very easy and delicious! Thank you for posting it. I love your website!
I am addicted to this bread now! Thank you for sharing. Fresh out the the oven it doesn’t even need butter. It’s hearty, moist, & crusty. My favorite is to toast it & spread with a little butter & honey. It turned out perfectly delicious when I followed the recipe (I used sesame seeds.) But of course I can’t just leave a good thing alone. To simplify, I tried making the whole thing in my food processor – after processing the oats into flour, I added the remaining dry ingredients & pulsed to combine, made a well in the center of the bowl & added the buttermilk, pulsed briefly about 6 times or so, then followed the original recipe for kneading & baking. I think it turned out just as well & one less bowl to clean – hooray! Then I thought I would try using some whole wheat flour just to experiment & I loved the results (I used 1 cup w.w. flour + 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour instead of the 2 1/4 cup a.p. flour). I’ve been baking this bread twice a week, plus I’ve shared with friends!
HS: Thanks for the note Peggy! Love the all-in-the-processor adaptation – really smart. I’ll give it a go the next time I make this oat version.
Can you make this bread with gluten free flour or simply use all rolled oat/flour? Thanks.
I mixed 1 cup of rye flower and 1 cup of oat flower. I also used yogurt instead of buttermilk and it turned out great! More of a cake texture, but still very delicious. Will be making more for sure! Thank you. Just pre-ordered your book. Thank you for great recipes!
Heidi, I followed the directions precisely and I’m not new to baking, but kind of new to breads. My loaf came out hard and dense and generally undercooked. Not much of any rise. The only thing I think happened was not pre-heating my cast iron Lodge loaf pan. Could that be the problem? The flavor is awesome. The inside and outside…not so much. I’m about to try again with a regular pyrex loaf pan…or better yet, free form. If you have a moment and can share your thoughts, I’d appreciate it. Oh, also, the bread was very wet and i couldn’t work with it so i sprinkled on ap flour as needed till I felt it was OK. Thank you Heidi.
HS: Hi Tartine, is there a chance that your baking soda was past its prime? I would start the trouble shooting there.
That was my comment above. NOT ANONYMOUS ANYMORE, eh? Guess where I’m from. LOL!
Heidi, I just discovered your website while looking for a quick bread to make. I just made this oatmeal soda bread and I am in seventh heaven, typing this while hot buttered crumbs stick to my lips. YUM!!
THANK YOU!!!
Made this over the weekend – awesome, hearty, wonderful-tasting bread! I didn’t have any seeds for the top, so I just sprinkled a little of the sea salt and some of the oats on top instead. It was yummy with butter and preserves on Sunday morning, and was dense enough that I could put it in the toaster with no problems! Thanks Heidi for a wonderful recipe!
Can Quick/Minute oats be used? or is it best to stick with regular oats?
HS: Regular out for this Irene.
This looks amazing! I’ve been looking into quick, easy, healthy bread recipes I’ll have to give this a whirl!
Ooo this looks great! I think I’m going to try it with Gluten Free Girl’s Whole Grain Flour mix and gluten free certified oat flour and almond milk!
Looks lovely. One of the biggest surprises in our first trip to Ireland recently was that what we know as “Irish Soda Bread” was made with whole wheat flour! It was always called “brown bread,” and even if a restaurant or B&B served both white and “brown” bread, the white was always conventional, yeast-based, while “brown” was always soda bread! (I collected several recipes from B&B hosts.)
Thanks for a great recipe. I subbed whole wheat flour and it turned out great, although it did need to bake longer.
What a wonderful recipe! So quick and easy and satisfying.
I subbed whole wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the regular flour, and also added 1/2 cup toasted millet, with a little extra for the top.
Delicious slathered with butter.
I made this bread and it turned out fabulously! Unfortunately I didn’t have any seeds, so I just used rolled oats on the top. I hae loved soda bread ever since I spent 4 months in Dublin. I can’t buy it in the supermarket here in Australia, as I could there, but now I have this recipe I am set! Thaks Heidi!
This has inspired me to try soda breads! I always make fresh bread for my family and they’re always yeast.
This recipe was yummy and I’m going to be making more soda breads in the future.
http://www.honestlygoodfood.com
I just made this as my first real attempt to make soda bread. I just LOVE the flavor. Super nutty and crisp on the outside (with all the flavor from the seeds too). Now THATS what I call some delightful, healthy, and fresh bread.
Thanks for the post and for teaching me that oats can be made into oat flour simply and easily! 🙂
AWESOME
i usually don’t post my comments, but i made this twice- once was bad and the second i am eating now and is amazing- so wanted to share my journey:)
the first loaf i made was way too dry- i followed the recipe by cup measurements, but the result was a dough more than a batter, and the loaf was dense and hard.
the second loaf i went by look- i used a little less flour, a little more baking soda, and more buttermilk/yogurt/milk combo until i had a pretty goopy batter that i liked the consistency of. it had to be spooned, not poured, into the pan, so not like pancake batter, but a lot like muffin batter. this one was a success!
the result is delicious- moist, sweet, and flavorful. thanks!!!
I just wanted you to know that this bread can be made gluten-free! I used Shauna’s 70/30 whole grain mix (http://glutenfreegirl.com/gluten-free-whole-grain-muffins/), certified GF oats, whole milk yogurt, and 3 T flax meal. The end result is moist and delicious, without added gums. Also, thank you, thank you, thank you for providing ingredient measurements by weight; this makes converting recipes to GF much easier!
“allow to cool” haha
it is cool now, but had to slice off a few pieces first to melt some butter that was languishing in the fridge
A belated thank-you: I found this right after I realized I’d volunteered to host a poetry group meeting–at dinnertime. Cue mad dash into the kitchen, in which I found ingredients for chili…and oat soda bread! The bread was glorious; everybody was so impressed that I’d actually made it from scratch. This then allowed me to continue my ongoing mission: de-mystifying bread making and cooking in general for my fellow grad students. Many thanks!
Hi Heidi! This is a follow up comment for your SNE: Preview post (looks like the comments were closed out, maybe?)
The recipes I tested for you that I still get multiple requests to make for friends and family (listed in order of popularity) are: that *amazing* macaroon tart, the granola, the wild rice casserole, and the white bean spread.
And now a comment for this post –
Hurray for quick-baking bread! I’ve been using my loaf pans non-stop making cakes lately, and I need to start using them for bread again. (And not just for beer bread.) Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Wow I love this. It looks very delicious! I will have to try this weekend. I really enjoy the weekend time with my daughters in the kitchen making different delicious foods for my family, especially the dishes I have never tried out.
This is such a great recipe! I am mostly vegan… mostly 😉 so keep just soy milk in the house. I replaced buttermilk with soymilk and it’s still really yummy! And so easy! I did it while uploading files as Im working from home today! Fast and healthy! I love it! Thank you!
The recipes themselves and the images to accompany them are fantastic. I look forward to making your blog a regular read, and trying this bread recipe. It looks delicious!
As I’ve been trying new bread recies for couple of months, I noticed that there is nothing better than homemade bread! And this one is right up my alley! I love it has oat and seeds. I will absolutely give this a try. Thanks!
Is there a storage area that I have missed? I have to print all recipes I’d like to keep and would love to keep them online.
I made this bread yesterday. Didn’t have buttermilk, so organic yogurt + whole organic milk made a perfect substitute. I sprinkled some oats on top. Came out great!
Heidi, I try almost every new recipe you post, have enjoyed all of them to date, and have been tempted many times to comment on my love of your Otsu, Beluga Lentil Crostini and Pierce Street Veg Chili recipes in particular. I have to finally give in 🙂 I made this bread, spread it with goat cheese and served it with your Red Lentil Soup (where I used forbidden rice in place of the brown rice, which was outstanding) – and I just have to say what an absolutely lovely meal it was. Thank you for everything!
I haven’t had soda bread since my Irish college roommate made it for us. It was tasty, but a bit dry. This looks like it’s full of wonderful textures, all the while remaining moist.
My family and I are loving the soda bread! Mine needed a bit more flour to make it come together, but it was still delicious. …Slices beautifully, toasts beautifully…holds butter, jam, peanut butter, nutella, etc. You could probably eat anything on this bread. TY!
Thanks for this simple recipe ! It crossed the ocean and came into my kitchen. I was delighted by the result, and the bread made my breakfast for a few days.
As I don’t comment a lot, let me say that I love the stories behind your recipes, which often take place in our meals.
I never comment (though I read often), but I feel compelled to tell you that I made this bread twice in the past four days. Take note that I am eating/ate both loaves without help. Yum.
I wanted french toast on Monday, but didn’t have any suitable bread in the house, so I made this oat soda bread. I didn’t add the seeds to the top, but added 2 T of brown sugar and 1T of maple syrup (idea from In Jennie’s Kitchen). The bread was pourable (I also used powdered buttermilk), and it took 10 min less than you mentioned. It was wonderful!
I was just reading in Anne Mendelson’s Milk, that what we call buttermilk isn’t ‘true’ buttermilk, it’s a low fat milk that has had cultures added to it. True buttermilk is the liquid leftover after churning butter; it isn’t cultured and so is much more bland in flavour. I wonder what’s happened to this byproduct of butter production, and what has changed in our tastes now that it has all but disappeared from our baking?
I made this with my 6 year old daughter over the weekend & we put just raw oats on top instead of seeds. It was very easy to make & she LOVES it. We’ve been having it for breakfast every day toasted with butter & maple syrup.
This looks amazing! I’ve never left a comment before, but I just want to say that your story is very inspiring and I love all of your wonderful recipes!
I can’t wait to try this! It looks lovely and sounds easy and delicious.
As I type, my apartment is filled with the delicious smell of fresh baked bread and I am using almost all of my will power to keep from devouring the entire loaf! What an easy yet rewarding recipe! I used sesame and chia seeds for the top and it came out of the over looking and smelling beautiful. I tried a small slice and intend to have another with red lentil soup for dinner (another of your recipes!)
Thanks!
We had this bread for supper! It was nice and hearty, easy and delicious! I like how it is faster to make than regular bread. Nice when I’m short on time.
Thanks!
I made this over the weekend. I accidentally forgot a quarter cup of the flour and messed up the baking soda measurement, but it still came out great! I kept adding more flour as I kneaded it to compensate for my mistake, so I’m not sure how short the end result was in flour. I topped it with sesame seeds and a liberal dose of course salt and it is delicious! I recommend whipping up some of your own cultured butter to slather on top.
I tried this recipe and found this bread to be very dry – just trying to slice it, it crumbled. Also,I used a combo of rolled oats, sunflower, poppy and sesame seeds on the top, and found the sunflower seeds burned while cooking. Finally, this lacked salt, even though I added what the recipe called for.
Changes for next time, add more buttermilk, add more salt, incorporate the seeds into the bread and top only with rolled oats.
I made this for a Saturday night dinner party and it was a HIT! I brought it with some cheeses for an appetizer (an unusual pairing, but it was fantastic). The inside is very soft and satisfying, and the outside makes a great crust, but not too chewy. Definitely a do-again. Thanks, Heidi!
Thanks for the recipe! I made it this morning and it was great to be able to make break so quickly and easily without sacrificing taste. I’ll be making this again. I’d love to try the rye soda bread recipe too.
Hey Hedi
I just wanted to know that I referred you to Canadian Living magazine to do an spot on you. I hope they come a calling! Also, could you recommend 10 of your top cookbooks? Ones I can order as I live in Sweden. Love you, wish I had your , passion, and whit!
Oh what a simple and good looking bread. I think i just might have to make this from my regular limpa 🙂 bread.
I just tried to make this bread but seem to have done something really wrong. The bread turned out really really wet, almost like a batter. I measured the dry ingredients on a scale so I cant imaging what went wrong… I kept adding and adding four until I could handle the bread. Its in the oven now so I dont know how it turned out. I used powdered buttermilk (blended with water to turn it into liquid as directed-Bob’s Red Mill) is there any chance this was the problem?
I had a funny 101cookbooks moment last night when I ended up having dinner at a friends. I had made your Cinnamon Bun recipe earlier in the day so grabbed those to take along as I headed out the door. The dinner was accompanied by some delicious soda bread. As we talked recipes over the buns for desert it turned out we’d both got our recipes from your blog!! Thanks for the inspiration.
looks amazing and I bet it taste awesome!
Wow Heidi~
This bread looks sooooooo EASY and delicious!
I can’t wait to bake some after I finish eating my outrageous oatmeal cookies…..
Cheers!
Lisa xo
I just made this and it’s great.. Crusty on outside soft in the middle..And my granddaughter. even loves it.
What a great recipe – bread in a flash! It looks so great finished off with all those seeds. I must give it a go.
What a great recipe – bread in a flash! It looks so great finished off with all those seeds. I must give it a go.
I riffed this based on what I had on hand – milk + cider vinegar for buttermilk, 1 cup oat bran and 1 cup spelt flour in place of the 2 cups oat flour. It worked really really well.
I just made this bread-it is hearty and dense-great with a slab of butter.
Thanks!
Interesting. I have been on a soda bread tear recently. I had a couple mishaps along the way, but finally ended up with the ‘feeling’. Many of the recipes I found online stated buttermilk quantity in ranges because I guess it varies according to conditions and all that matters is the ‘feeling’. ha! It’s a little hokey, but I think I have the hang of it now. A bit like making pasta dough, I suppose.
I love this version. Oat soda bread is a wonderful idea. I just made an olive soda bread. omg, it’s to die for. I am loving the soda bread!!
Just made and ate whilst still warm – followed recipe exactly and it is SO AMAZINGLY DELISH. I used poppy, sunflower and sesame on top. Not only delightful to taste, but also to look at. Nomnom.
I baked this as directed, but included 1/2 cup of King Arthur Flour’s “Heritage Seeds Mix.” It made a slightly sweet, delightfully nutty loaf studded with some crunchy bits. Yum!
Has anyone tried this with whole wheat pastry flour rather than the unbleached flour?
I just wanted to say I got your cookbook as a late Christmas gift and I am so in love with it!
We just had this as part of our farmhouse breakfast! I’m a good cook but not great when it comes to making bread. I felt so successful making this, I thought maybe I skipped a step…but no, my guy moaned as he bit into it with the strawberry jam I made a week ago. And instead of one big loaf, I made four mini loaves otherwise portion control flies right out the window. I used black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds and caraway, yum. Thanks for such a hearty loaf of delicious bread!
Made it today packed full of seeds – so delicious slathered in butter! Thx!
Thanks for this needed recipe. I tasted a bread like this from John Campbell’s Irish Bakery, and I love it. Now I can make it myself and not have to leave my kitchen.
Renee
Do you think that I could use cremota instead of grinding the oats?
thank you
Alessandra
Since you are writing your recipes in grams, do you have any recommendations for home food scales? Thanks!
I had some trouble with soda bread last winter. It was okay just undercooked in parts and a little off. This is making me want to try again!
This was very good! I made it to go along side the honey balsamic beans for lunch today! Easy and delicious. Thanks!!
Heaven! This was so easy to make and turned out delicious. My 5 and 6 year old even helped me, although they were bummed that I wasn’t making your oat scones this time. Amazing with honey – I just had to slice it warm and give it a try.
Just have to applaud you for sharing all that you do with us. Your site has saved me on an almost weekly basis (this week a 3 times!) and continues to inspire. I am no longer afraid to modify things or try something completely new –
The next time you hop over to Europe I hope you will consider visiting Austria( borders on bella Italia) – lovely food, lovely people… different than Italy AND well worth a visit….
Hi again,
I made this yesterday and it turned out very well. The lemon with milk was a charm instead of buttermilk (My children were impressed.) The only thing I would change would be smaller seeds for the top. I had some “mystery seeds” that I could not remember what they were–pumpkin maybe. They were good, but I think smaller seeds would be better. Great toasted with preserves too. Love the other ideas for personalizing this bread. Thanks again,..
Marie
I just made this bread, substituting all whole wheat flour for the AP flour and it’s great. I added about 3/4 cup of toasted walnuts and, in order to make this vegan, I made my own vegan buttermilk (1 cup of soy milk with 1 T apple cider vinegar — use those proportions and make as many cups as you need, in this case 1 3/4). Delicious, dense, nutty, chewy bread. I will definitely make this again!
I made this bread yesterday and it turned out wonderfully! The kids loved it!! Thanks!!
I am not a baker, but this bread seems like something even I could do. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing!
Hei Heidi,
I tried this bread yesterday and came out fantastically well (regardless a few interuptions by my newborn boy..). It’s the first time i made bread but will surelly continue. Hubby was extatic!
many thanks!
When I lived in California I would bake Irish soda bread all the time. Since I have moved to France I have never made bread again! I would love to, but I have to admit that the guy at Pain et des Idees down the street makes the most awesome bread I have ever had.
I usually have quick oats at home, I never knew how to make a oat flour from it but now I know. Cool.
I think that savory bread might work as well.
I made this yesterday. I had unstabilised organic rolled oats (what the hell are steel cut oats – I’m in Australia), which I processed into a lovely chunky flour. Didn’t quite make 2 cups so I made up the difference with LSA mix. Didn’t have seeds so sprinkled oats on top. The bread looked and tasted amazing and had a heavenly fragrance. Nice dense chewy texture and I liked the addition of the LSA, gave a slight nuttiness to it. Will be making this again and again. Love Lynne’s idea of the cumin seeds. Seems like the kind of recipe you could throw all sorts of flavours, nuts, seeds and fruit into.
Hey Heidi! i gave the recipe a go this morning, but i didn’t have rolled oats, so i used steel-cut oats, which i processed longer to get a fine texture. The bread was dense and substantial, i think it could become a breakfast staple.
I’d just like to ask, what’ll happen if i used all oat flour? what are other substitutes for AP flour?
i guess i’d play with the flavors, i’m sure i’d do this again!
We’re in 4 homemade loaves of bread (so far) this week, but it’s been too long since I’ve made soda bread. We always have homemade oat flour on hand for pancakes, and I can only imagine they’d lend their sweet, tender texture beautifully here. Thanks for this — it will show up on our table, soon.
I absolutely love home-made bread!
I made this and it was fantastic. I added cumin seeds and savoury yeast flakes and used 1/2 yogurt and water instead of milk. Superb.
I saw this recipe about twenty minutes ago, and as it turns out, I had *exactly* 1 3/4 cups of buttermilk sitting in my fridge – with 14 January as the expiry date.
The bread is in the oven now, and I really can’t wait to try it!
Thank You Heidi, I’ve been reading this blog for several years nd have gotten lots of pleasure, experience and memories from your recipes. I was, until today, bread-stupid. I keep trying and the loves I pull from the oven keep failing. They are hard as rocks or goopey centered. But this bread, came out like a dream and is delicious.
To anyone who hasn’t had luck before with breads, risen or quick, this one broke my streak and I’ll bet it will break yours too.
Made this bread last night. It was quick and easy (even making my own oat flour). Enjoying it now toasted (as suggested) with a hearty onion soup. Thanks for the idea!
Here in Ireland soda bread is our normal homemade bread,Everyone has their own family recipe.Instead of baking in the oven we often cook it on a griddle(i use my cast iron crepe pan) where it takes a fraction of the time. Eat hot and slathered in butter and blackcurrant jam . Yummm!
Perfect. I am freezing my butt off in Pennsylvania, and hunting for grain recipes for warmth. The “Nikki’s cookies” recipe you shared has been my breakfast for the past two days.
Inspired by a buckwheat cookie recipe I found on your site, I kept looking for a version better suited to my celiac/ sugar issues.
About 10 minutes ago, I found a suitable recipe on a *Bulgarian* website, and used google’s translation feature to almost instantly convert it into English. With a quick glance at the website I noticed a link to… YOUR BLOG. You are (rightly so) being linked to by writers from as far away as Bulgaria. I love the internet.
And now I am going to log off and make a gf version of this bread recipe to accompany lunch. Thanks!
Hi,
Thank you for this recipe Heidi. I am making it tonight with soup. We have been icebound/ snowbound in Atlanta for 4 days now and need fresh bread. Thank you Liz for the tip on making the buttermilk–the only thing I lacked.
Do you think that spelt four would work? We have been trying to not use Wheat.
HS: Hi Christina, I think spelt could work, but the bread will be denser, and you may need to up the buttermilk a bit.
Thank for another beautiful post. This is such a lovely looking bread, I can hardly wait to give it a try! I was wondering if I could cut back or remove the salt without harming the rising of the bread….it’s that darn high blood pressure of mine…Thank you for your insight!
I had buttermilk in the fridge that needed a place to go, and a hunger for bread, so I made this last night replacing the whole wheat flour with spelt and a little amaranth. In my oven, it only needed 40 minutes total of baking time. It turned out great! Thanks, Heidi.
Love this. I’ve never been a big soda bread fan, but you make it so compelling, I want to get out the flour!
I am so totally drooling. Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been making a lot of bread recently (variations on pizza dough bread sticks actually) but had somehow forgotten all about quick breads. The yeast will be put away for today. Bring on the soda!
Hi, great simple recipe. Do you think rice milk would work just as well? Even if I added lemon juice as Liz (Simple Italian Cooking) suggested? Or just go for yoghurt? Thanks
Do you think I could substitute Kafir for the buttermilk?
when I make my usual soda bread (using Nick Malgieri’s recipe), I usually add 1/4 cup or so of steel-cut oats, which gives a nice texture. And since I practically never have buttermilk, I use half Straus plain yogurt and half regular milk. Works great.
This looks and sounds so delish. I’m definitely making it this weekend. I can’t wait for the book!
This looks amazing. I am currently travelling in India and there are some good bakeries here, but this makes me long for home.
I was just saying I wanted to make an oat bread today! I just made this, while it’s a bit hearty for this warm New Zealand summer day, it was so delightful I forgave it. I don’t have a food processor, but the quick cook oats added a nice texture. Subbed milk and lemon juice for buttermilk which turned out fine. I also added some honey since we just harvested some from our hive in the backyard, it added a nice sweetness that complimented the oat and salt nicely. Also added the honey to the salted butter at the end and I’m afraid that all those things mean the loaf won’t be around for long now that my housemates got to it. Thanks!
You should check out Cook’s Illustrated. They have an awesome recipe for Irish soda bread made with oatmeal, walnuts. whole wheat flour and buttermilk.
This is great inspiration. I love your website. Thanks!
That looks amazing.. I have all of the ingredients here to try it.
The bread was amazing and truly easy to make. Thank you for the recipe.
I just pulled a loaf of this bread out of my oven-my whole house smells delicious. I threw in a handful of sunflower seeds and used part half-and-half and part milk with lemon as that’s what I had on hand. So so GOOD. Can’t wait for the new book to come out!
Delicious! I mixed dried buttermilk powder with the dry ingredients, and then added water instead of buttermilk. My dough was too wet and sticky to knead (and I was too lazy to add more flour), but the bread still turned out great! I’m eager to try it with fresh buttermilk or yogurt next time.
this was the perfect complement to the white bean and kale stew i had planned for dinner! glad i had bought some oat flour last week in hopes of making kim boyce’s ginger peach muffins! as a side note: i made my bread into a free-form loaf, and found that the cooking time was a little shorter than you suggested.
Oh, this looks great. One thing I might try–based on the fabulousness of my favorite muffin recipe from the _Fannie Farmer Cookbook_ (Irish Oatmeal Muffins), is to soak the rolled oats right in the buttermilk for a few hours rather than grinding them into flour. I feel an experiment coming on!
What is that brown lining you have in the pan? I’m very, very new to baking…meaning I suppose I should know what this is. Do I have to use it?
Thanks!
Michele
Di: Baking soda is the same as bicarbonate of soda. Baking powder is bicarbonate of soda with acid added so it will work in recipes with no added acids. The buttermilk in this recipe supplies acid, so the baking soda works on its own.
I usually like making yeast breads, but this looks good enough to revisit soda bread.
Delish! I love soda bread, and this looks perfect!
You are wonderfully creative and inspiring – thank you so much for all your delicious recipes!
Just, I know baking powder and I know bicarbonate of soda. So what is baking soda?
Is there a way to make this dairy free, without the buttermilk?
Soda bread is one of my favorites; always turns out delicious, doesn’t it? I love your version, Heidi….have a great night!
I love making soda bread, it’s so easy! This sounds like a fantastic version.
I LOVE soda bread, but have been using the same recipe forever. This looks like the perfect chance to change it up, thanks!
So simple and delish. There is nothing like fresh warm homemade bread. The healthy oat flour balances out the butter I slather on, right?
I can almost smell it baking right now!
Can you make this bread with finely ground whole wheat flour? I don’t usually have all-purpose flour at home, but I do have the other stuff. Does anything change if I change the flour?
I’m so happy that you posted this bread recipe. It seems like bread baking is a dying habit.
…and I was just wondering what to do with some leftover buttermilk in my fridge! yum, this is happening tonight…
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I absolutely love bread, but I don’t have the patience or the skills to bake yeast recipes! I’ve been baking beer bread but I’m ready to move onto soda bread!
I have this in the oven right now… had a big jar of gorgeous homemade cultured buttermilk to use up and this fit the bill perfectly! (see foodiewithfamily.com to make this amazing buttermilk!)
My son helped sift and stir and knead…
can not wait to try it!
And looking forward to your new book!
That looks very good!
We will make that for shore!
I’ve wondered this before when you mentioned your favorite crackers…what kind are they? Those seeds look like the generous leavings of the Dr. Kracker ones that we buy — which I usually mop up with a licked finger when the package empties out. Thanks!
This looks so good. I look forward to making it. I do make my own oat flour. I don’t often have white flour in my pantry. I am going to give this a whirl with white whole wheat flour. I hope it works as well.
Heidi, I love the look of this. Is there a way to turn this into a vegan recipe (e.g., any substitutions for the buttermilk)?
I had a lovely soda bread (bought) at a friends dinner before Christmas and have been thinking about it ever since but not been game enough to make one. Until now!!!
A quick question – would I need to change the cooking time or temp if using baking in silicone?
This looks great! Would love to make it this afternoon. However … I’m all out of oats. Do you think ground organic Kumat flakes would work in it’s place??
This oat soda bread sounds truly amazing! Probably going to give it a try this weekend for the football games.
Well that looks easy enough, and delicious! I love the internet for sharing ideas, riffing on recipes and pretty much declaring that everyone has the ability and the right to cook for themselves!
I keep dried buttermilk in my fridge, and reconstitute it as needed. It is a terrific item, lasts awhile, and allows you to make delicious things, like this bread, just about anytime, without running to the store for buttermilk!
This looks really nice and wintery. I can’t wait to try it. I just love you’re site. I just pre-ordered your new book the other day and I can’t tell you how excited I am!
Thanks!
All I can think is: Yiiipppppiiieeeeee!
I love soda bread, but have never made it with oats before. This looks delicious. Will def have to try this recipe!
hi! greetings from Austria! I tried your recipe and its going to be a wonderful bread. its in the oven at the moment. I hadn’t buttermilk, so I mixed milk an yoghurt. Hope it works!
Delicious! This just might be the thing to cure my impatience when making sourdough!
This bread will lift my family and I out of the deep freeze today. I plan on serving this with an old-fashioned beef stew. Yum!
I’m a huge fan of Irish Soda Breads. There just the perfect thing for sopping up soup!
I really love the oat twist. Toss in a few raisins and its a full breakfast in its own right!
Thanks for sharing!
This looks impossibly delicious. Any bread with that many seeds on it wins my heart. Can imagine it warm with glops of melting butter and it’s kind of breaking my heart. Yum.
Hello,
I have 2 questions:
1. Can we substitute baking soda with baking powder?
2. Or can we use yeast instead?
Thanks.
Hi Heidi,
I really enjoy your posts. I always received them on my yahoo home page whenever you updated a new post. I don’t know what happened, but I no longer get them. The last one I got was for Green Bean Slaw. Any ideas on how I can get them to post again?
My mouth is watering just thinking about this bread! The chewy texture of oats and the slight bitterness of soda bread sound so perfect together.
Your six seed soda bread changed my life so I guess I’ll have to try this! 🙂
mmm, my husband loves soda bread and this one looks amazing. love the hearty oats!
Soda bread is one of my absolute favorites to make. Exactly because your reasons too; who can resist homemade bread in under an hour! I’ll have to make this version next time!
Heidi this looks great. I am on a homemade bread drive this year and this is definitely winging its way into my list of ‘must try’ breads–so simple and looks delicious!
Love this idea! I’ve never made soda bread; it might have to be this weekend’s baking project, with a few experimental elements thrown in 🙂
This looks amazing and hearty! I can’t wait to try this out!
this soda bread is completely calling my name…i can just picture it now with a melting slab of butter!
I keep seeing soda bread recipes where the dough is firm enough to knead – my recipe is adapted from a farmers’ market cookbook from Ireland and is much more of a wet dough that you pour into a pan like zucchini bread. It’s really high in fiber too, thanks to the addition of pinhead oats, whole wheat flour, and wheat bran, which I love!
This looks really simple and delicious! I think I might make it on this snow day.
I do love a good bread recipe. Usually I do naturally leavened rather than chemically, but this might be worth a shot!
Your soda bread looks great! I first learned about soda bread during and 8th grade St. Patrick’s Day party. My friend’s mother taught me to make a version with whole wheat flour, buttermilk, and currants. Despite its simplicity, it’s one of my very favorite breads.
oh and on the wholewheat flour – i’d say most soda bread is normally about 75% wholewheat – definitely better that way!
pinhead oatmeal is a standard ingredient in soda bread in ireland – to such an extent that ive no idea what other uses it actually has!
I have recently decided to eat all of my bread homemade, thanks for the recipe!! Your pictures are fabulous! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Soda bread is my all-time favourite with a lovely slab of salted butter 🙂 This looks absolutely lovely and wholesome, thank you.
Oh wow, I love the simple list of ingredients and the perfect results! Looks great!
Usually, the only thing that keeps me from making my own bread is lack of time. You’re suggesting a bread though that takes an hour from start to finish! I can’t say no to that. I’ve never tried soda bread before so I’ll give this a try. By the way, you are so right about the ping pong culture that is the internet. That’s why I love it. Bouncing ideas off of each other is one great thing.
Yeah, its possible.If you’re asking for a recipe, though, i don’t have one… Sorry. But i have made some, and you can just Google it, and look through a bunch of them! I don’t know how else you’d find one, but you will! it’s for sure possible.
Wow, so few ingredients and it looks so simple to make! I love seedy, oaty bread, so will definitely give this a go.
Looks delicious. Very wholesome and hearty. I bet it tastes great with a bit of peanut butter
Before getting to the end of the post, I was already going to write, “I never bake bread but this just might convince me to,” Then you kindly suggested the same. Perfect.
It does seem like the perfect time of year for baking bread. I’ll put this recipe on my list!
This looks amazing and so simple, does it really taste as good as it looks? I am always looking for bread recipes with a crustier crust!
I love any recipe with a short ingredient list and I loveee carbs so this is speaking to me! looks fantastic!
If there’s buttermilk and oats involved…I’m in! Buttermilk in quick breads is just “my thing”…I keep it on hand at all times!
thanks for another beautiful post…
cathy b. @ brightbakes
I’m out of all purpose flour, but I have white bread flour, whole wheat flour, and whole wheat pastry flour. I feel like I read that pastry flour works best with soda breads, but I think subbing all whole wheat might make it too heavy. Think half whole wheat pastry flour and half while bread flour would work?
Oh, I absolutely love the look and sound of this! I can’t believe it’s (almost) mid-January and I haven’t baked bread yet since the cold season started. This might be just the ticket!
Heidi,
This bread looks delish, a must try. I like easy breads.
BTW-I made your granola bars (which I, and my family, have become addicted to every since I started reading your blog) and took them with me on my first trip out to Big Sur. It was on my Top 25 places to travel list, and man was it worth it. Absolutely beautiful. We also made a stop in Carmel, Monterey, and San Francisco. Beautiful country. Just thought I would let you know as you inspired me to travel to Big Sur with your post about the granola bars! So thanks!
Heidi—tag you’re it! The thanks goes to you for including such an easy and most importantly delicious recipe in Super Natural Every Day. I see dozens of new books each week, but your’s was truly a page-turner.
I know I mentioned the cranberry nut I made recently. I also just ground some fresh pistachios to use this “base” as a springboard to making a Sicilian pistachio sweet bread, since it has a pretty dense crumb.
I’d wish you lots of luck when the book comes out, but you won’t need it—the recipes speak for themselves.
Oh how I love homemade bread! Your bread is beautiful.
heidi, i have been following your blog for a little over a year now. i purchased your book after my first 2 weeks of reading your posts. i am one of those finiky people with a special diet (blood type diet who has to make what seem to be miraculous substitutes for something semi-similar taste to its superior original. All of this to say when i eat grains, i predominately eat oats. i was excited by this post, but wondering if you think a substitute of plain yogurt for the buttermilk, spelt for the all-purpose, and bread machine vs. oven? thank you so dearly and great boomerang metaphor- loved it!
This bread sounds divine.
This loaf looks marvelous! The recipe is simpler than I would have thought. Thanks for sharing.
My MIL makes the best soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day. I love it and await it every year. I like this version with oats. I appreciate how you always add highly nutritional ingredients to your recipes.
My MIL makes the best soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day. I love it and await it every year. I like this version with oats. I appreciate how you always add highly nutritional ingredients to your recipes.
My MIL makes the best soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day. I love it and await it every year. I like this version with oats. I appreciate how you always add highly nutritional ingredients to your recipes.
My MIL makes the best soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day. I love it and await it every year. I like this version with oats. I appreciate how you always add highly nutritional ingredients to your recipes.
I have made soda breads a couple of times and I love adding whole grains. Raisins are a nice addition too. This oat version looks awesome. It would pair well with homemade peach jam from this summer.
Love the seeds on top. Nice and rustic!
Wow, this looks so simple and delicious! I’ve got some wonderful 00 whole wheat flour that would work very well for an oat-y soda bread, I think. And I’ll bet you could portion this off into really wonderful dinner rolls, too.
Every time I make soda bread, it is almost by accident. I start making a pot of soup, then find myself with some idle time. I always have the basic ingredients for soda bread, so I throw it together, toss in the oven, then enjoy it with my soup. In my mind, that is the perfect day.
Thanks for sharing another version 🙂
Looks fantastic! How great to have home-baked bread that fast! (I recently saved a bunch of seeds from the bottom of a package of rolls that came home with me after a party – glad to know I’m not the only one who saves stuff like that!)
Looks great! We’re heading into a big snowstorm here in NY, and this bread seems just the thing to make.
I have two questions: You indicate 2 cups of rolled oats, but then say that if your using flour, use a scant two cups. Wouldn’t 2 cups of rolled oats blend down to much less than a scant two cups of flour.
There is no volume measurement for flour. Can you add it in? Thanks for a wonderful blog! I love your cooking approach, your photographs, and all your recipes.
HS: Will do Bella, its about 2 1/4 cups apf. I’ll update it. And you would think the oats would blend down much more, but mine really didn’t. But if your dough ends up too tacky just add a bit more flour, too dry add a bit more buttermilk. It’s pretty forgiving. Hope you enjoy it.
It just dawned on me that it’s called soda bread bc it’s made with baking soda!? Silly me. I will definitely give this a shot … it’s yeast breads that have it out for me 😉 I love that you use oat flour. What a healthy bread this it ! Must make this ASAP.
It looks wonderful, I can’t wait to try it! Homemade bread is far better than store bought, and the smell that lingers is worth the process.
Homemade bread is always the best- no question about that! It sounds so simple, too. Even better!
I love the short ingredient list. I’m on a bread-baking kick right now so I’m sure I’ll be making this soon!
I’ve never come across bread like this before. This looks great for a quick weeknight accompaniment to the dinner table.
Love it. Baking bread at home is far superior to anything store-bought!
This sounds and looks fantastic.
looks like a must-do, weeknight bread! and you’re right–oats & soda bread seem a natural. thanks for posting!
This looks too simple! I rarely have buttermilk on hand, and so what I’ve done in the past is to use regular milk, but add in some lemon juice and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Works like a charm. I don’t measure the lemon juice – a few squirts.
Good tip regarding moving the bread closer to the top during baking!
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