Last Updated on January 7, 2026
Lá Fhéile Pádraig – St Patrick’s Day – Spelt Soda Bread
What’s a Scottish Lass doing celebrating St Patrick’s Day, you may ask. Well, my father’s side of the family is from the Western Isles – from Skye and Mull to be precise. And those islands have always had a strong cultural link with Ireland; in Celtic times, the Western Isles were part of the same kingdom, Dal Riata, as what is now known as County Antrim. So I feel perfectly entitled to remember my Celtic origins and celebrate St Patrick’s Day. It’s also a good excuse to eat some of my favourite food – and since the lovely people at Bord Bia sent me a hamper of Irish food, I thought I should put some of it to good use. I got a bit carried away with the idea of cooking something Irish, and the top of mind was making some Soda Bread.
Why? Because everyone had told me it was easy – and I like things that are easy to make. I searched a bit on the internet because I didn’t have buttermilk and discovered two or three recipes using soured milk or yoghurt as the ‘acid’ to react with the bicarbonate of soda and make the bread rise. And, in a fit of healthiness, I made my Soda Bread using Spelt Flour from Sharpham Mill. Of course, faced with so much choice, it’s hard to know quite what else to do! Especially as I do love black pudding and white pudding, just served in slices as part of a mixed grill or breakfast.
Spelt Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 250 ml Milk
- 1/2 Lemon
- 250 g Spelt Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
Instructions
- First make your soured milk by adding the juice of half a lemon to the milk, stirring and leaving it to stand for 10 minutes.
- Pre heat the oven to 200c
- Sift together all the dry ingredients, then make a well in the middle and pour in the soured milk, which should be nicely curdled
- The mixture will bubble up a little bit, quickly pull in the flour to make a soft dough, kneading lightly.
- Dust a baking sheet with a little flour and turn out the dough ball onto that. Dust the top of the dough before pressing down to make a flattish round of bread
- Cut a cross into the top of the dough. I’m sure you will do a better job of it than me…just don’t cut too far down.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack
Nutrition
The result was fabulous. For a start, it was easy to make a relatively SMALL quantity. Very important for a single person who eats out a lot. My adapted Soda Bread recipe makes a half-pound loaf without any problem, giving about 4 portions. Because it doesn’t have to be left to rise, it takes about 35 minutes from start to finish. So, you could easily make this fresh for breakfast! And, made with spelt flour, it’s delicious. I suspect it might work better with a ‘healthy’ flour. Something that looks like ‘Artisan’.
Now, I thought Soda Bread was an ancient, traditional Irish recipe. But it turns out that’s not the case at all. Although it is now a national dish, baking soda originated in America, and the use of soda bicarbonate as a raising agent only reached Europe in the 19th Century. So, it’s a bit like potatoes – something brought over to Ireland from the USA and adopted!
Having made my bread, my creativity seemed to vanish. I had some wonderful bacon and black pudding in the hamper – and you know, I just got a yearning for a simple cooked brunch. So, in the end, I put everything in the oven – the bacon over the black pudding to keep it moist – and just cooked it all for 15 minutes.
Perfect with a lovely cup of hot tea and some homemade soda bread.
Yes, I know this is a simple way to use the food I’ve been sent. But there are times when the ingredients are good enough, and you don’t need to do much. I’ve still got things to use up, but in the meantime, I can go out and enjoy St Patrick’s Day with a full stomach and a warm heart.
Many thanks to Bord Bia for sending me such fabulous ingredients! Even if I did find them just too good to mess around with!
Spelt Soda Bread (Milk Recipe) FAQ
What is soda bread (the classic version)?
Classic soda bread is a quick bread leavened with baking soda rather than yeast. It is traditionally made with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to help the bread rise.
How is this spelt soda bread different from classic soda bread?
This version uses spelt flour and is a milk based soda bread recipe. The post notes that spelt flour can be a little drier than standard wheat flour, so the liquid is adjusted accordingly.
Does soda bread need yeast, kneading, or proving time?
No. Soda bread is chemically leavened using baking soda and an acidic liquid, so it does not require yeast fermentation or long proving. It is usually mixed gently rather than kneaded like a yeasted dough.
Why does soda bread use an acidic liquid?
The acid, traditionally buttermilk, reacts with baking soda to create carbon dioxide bubbles which give the bread its lift. Milk based recipes normally include an acidic element so the same reaction can take place.
How many portions does this recipe make?
The post describes it as making a small loaf of around half a pound, which gives roughly four portions.
What texture should I expect?
Soda bread is usually moist and crumbly rather than stretchy and chewy like a high gluten yeasted loaf. Spelt flour also tends to produce a softer and more tender crumb.
What is the best way to shape and bake soda bread?
Soda breads are normally shaped into a round and baked soon after mixing. Traditional methods avoid heavy kneading to prevent toughness and often score the top to help the loaf bake evenly.
How should I serve spelt soda bread?
It works well for breakfast or served alongside soups and salads. Soda bread is often best eaten freshly baked, then toasted later if it starts to dry out.
How do I store it?
Store it wrapped at room temperature or in an airtight container once fully cooled. Soda bread is usually best on the day it is baked, but it can still be enjoyed over the next day or two, especially if toasted.
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