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A loaf of crusty, chewy, molasses oatmeal soda bread is ready from start to finish in about 1 hour. Since there’s no yeast, there’s no wait for rising time! It’s perfect with butter and jam for breakfast, or with a pot of soup or stew for supper.
Table of Contents
If you love homemade bread, but you don’t have time for a traditional yeast bread, then this easy soda bread recipe is the perfect solution! Baking soda reacts with buttermilk to act as the leavening agent, so there’s no need to knead, rise, or proof the dough. This particular loaf is a bit different from a traditional Irish soda bread, since it includes oatmeal and molasses, which yield a richer flavor and a chewier texture. So satisfying and delicious!
What is special about soda bread?
Soda bread is a type of quick bread that uses sodium bicarbonate (“baking soda”) as a leavening agent instead of yeast. The primary ingredients in a traditional soda bread recipe include flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.
The acidic buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. These carbon dioxide bubbles help the bread rise, and also give the loaf a unique texture — somewhat moist, but also crumbly. It’s not chewy and soft like a classic yeast bread.
Since soda bread a “quick bread,” soda bread comes together “quickly,” without the need for extended rising time and without the need for a controlled proofing environment. It’s the perfect homemade bread for a busy weeknight!
What does soda bread taste like?
This rustic loaf is full of flavor! It’s slightly sweet, with a dense, tight crust. The golden crust is incredibly crisp, while the bread stays tender and soft inside. While soda bread is always quite crumbly, this loaf has a bit of extra “chew” and texture, thanks to the oats throughout. Sprinkle seeds on top for even more crunch!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite soda bread recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the bread dough.
- Old-fashioned oats: for a chewier texture and extra flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: leavening agents that help the bread rise.
- Kosher salt: to enhance the flavors in the rest of the ingredients.
- Buttermilk: a key ingredient for soda bread, since the acid in the buttermilk helps the bread rise.
- Salted butter: for richness and moisture.
- Molasses: adds rich, bold flavor, a hint of sweetness, and a bit of moisture.
Soda Bread without Buttermilk
If you want to prepare a loaf of soda bread, but you don’t have any buttermilk in your fridge, no worries! You can make a buttermilk substitute at home in just minutes. To do so, pour either 1 ½ tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar into a large measuring cup. Add enough whole milk to equal 1 ½ cups of liquid. Give it a stir, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then use it in the recipe as directed!
How to Make Soda Bread
This soda bread is special because it comes together quickly, but it still gives you that great flavor and texture of a classic loaf of homemade bread — with a delicious, crispy crust and a tender crumb. The recipe was inspired by one that I found in Southern Cast Iron magazine, and have since tweaked and adapted. I’ve included the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Stir together the dough.
- Knead it a few times on a lightly floured work surface, and then shape it into a round loaf.
- Place the loaf in a cast iron skillet.
- Cut an “X” in the top.
- Brush buttermilk on top, and sprinkle with oats and seeds.
- Bake, slice, and serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the easy soda bread recipe for breakfast with butter, honey, honey butter, jam, or apple butter. As a side dish, the crusty loaf of bread goes well with any of these dinner entrées:
- Chili (like this Slow Cooker Chili, Beef and Beer Chili, Classic Beef Chili, Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, White Bean Chicken Chili, Texas Chili, Ground Turkey Chili, or Pumpkin Chili)
- Soups (such as Ham and Bean Soup, Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup, Beef Barley Soup, Crock Pot Potato Soup, Split Pea Soup with Ham, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pumpkin Soup, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Hamburger Soup, or Creamy Cauliflower Soup)
- Stews (like this Irish Stew, Crock Pot Brunswick Stew, Crock Pot Chicken Stew, Irish Stew, Frogmore Stew, or Dutch Oven Beef Stew)
- Beans (such as Appalachian Pinto Beans and Turnip Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon, Southern Lima Beans with Ham, Ranch Style Beans, or Cowboy Baked Beans)
- Meat (try this Guinness Marinated Flank Steak, Dump-and-Bake Corned Beef and Cabbage, Pan Fried Pork Chops, Oven-Fried Breaded Pork Chops, Dutch Oven Pot Roast, Pork Roast with Gravy, Rosemary Oven Roasted Chicken, or Crispy Roast Chicken with Vegetables)
Storage
Soda bread is best when freshly baked and warm from the oven, but you can bake it up to 8 hours in advance and leave it on your countertop until ready to serve. To extend the life of your homemade bread, store it in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. When it’s slightly stale and dry, toasting is your best bet!
How to Freeze
Wrapped tightly, you can store soda bread in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on your countertop or in the refrigerator before enjoying.
How to Reheat
To reheat leftover soda bread, wrap in foil and warm in a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes. You can also microwave individual slices of soda bread just until warmed through — about 20-30 seconds, or toast them in a toaster or skillet.
Recipe Variations
- Want to prepare this soda bread without buttermilk? See my instructions above to make a buttermilk substitute using regular milk and either lemon juice or vinegar.
- The cast iron skillet conducts heat nicely, and provides an ideal surface to create a crusty exterior (without burning the bottom of the bread). If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, however, you can bake the bread on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Add currants, raisins, or dried cranberries to the loaf. Caraway seeds are also optional.
Tips for the Best Soda Bread Recipe
- Do not prepare the dough in advance and store it in the fridge before baking. The baking soda and buttermilk start reacting immediately, so it’s important to get the bread in the oven as quickly as possible — otherwise it will lose its leavening power.
- Add extra buttermilk to the dough, as needed, to bring the loaf together. It will still be slightly crumbly, but you don’t want to see any big dry pockets of flour. Make sure that you don’t add too much buttermilk and end up with a wet, dense, heavy loaf.
- Score the top of the loaf with a deep “X” (cutting about halfway down into the loaf). This allows the bread to open up in the oven, which helps it cook evenly, allowing the inside of the bread to bake through.
- Brushing the top of the bread with buttermilk helps the exterior brown nicely, and also helps the seeds adhere.
- Garnish the top of the loaf with oats and any seeds of your choice. Good options include pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
More Quick Bread Recipes to Try
Irish Soda Bread Recipe
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Best Ever Banana Nut Bread
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Cranberry Bread
3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins
Molasses Oatmeal Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups whole buttermilk, well shaken (plus extra for brushing the top)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- Garnish: additional old-fashioned oats, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet; set aside. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can use a large baking sheet greased or lined with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, molasses, and melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture; stir with a fork or wooden spoon just until combined. Add extra buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time, if needed, to bring the dough together. It will be shaggy and slightly crumbly – that’s fine.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead the dough 3-4 times so that a soft dough forms, and then shape into a round loaf. Place in the prepared pan. Use a sharp knife to score a deep “X” across the top of the loaf. Brush with a little bit of buttermilk; sprinkle with about 1-2 tablespoons of oats and/or seeds.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden brown, about 15-18 more minutes, tenting loosely with foil if necessary to prevent excessive browning.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
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- Do not prepare the dough in advance and store it in the fridge before baking. This is because the baking soda and buttermilk start reacting immediately, so it’s important to get the bread in the oven as quickly as possible. Otherwise it will lose its leavening power.
-
- Add extra buttermilk to the dough, as needed, to bring the loaf together. It will still be slightly crumbly, but you don’t want to see any big dry pockets of flour. Make sure that you don’t add too much buttermilk and end up with a wet, dense, heavy loaf.
- Score the top of the loaf with a deep “X” (cutting about halfway down into the loaf). This allows the bread to open up in the oven, which helps it cook evenly, allowing the inside of the bread to bake through without drying out the rest of the loaf.
-
- Brushing the top of the bread with buttermilk helps the exterior brown nicely, and also helps the seeds adhere.
-
- Garnish the top of the loaf with oats and any seeds of your choice. Good options include pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
- Recipe adapted from Southern Cast Iron magazine.
