I love baking bread, but let’s be honest: it’s a time-consuming endeavor. Not to mention, gluten free bread never really lives up to my expectations.

One of the things I love to do during the colder months of the year is to put on a pot of soup and make quick soda bread to go with it. The ingredients come together in minutes without kneading, which makes it a perfect recipe to enjoy even on flare days.

Recipe

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp white vinegar

2 cups gluten free flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

shredded cheddar (optional)

chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir milk and vinegar together and let stand until curdled, roughly 10 minutes.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cheddar, and chives together. Gradually stir in milk until dough just comes together.

Turn onto floured surface. Shape into a round. Cut deep slashes in an “X” shape across top.

Place on greased baking sheet and sprinkle top with flour.

Bake until golden brown, roughly 45 minutes.

Notes

Believe it or not, this recipe works well with almond milk instead of dairy milk. Although you don’t get a true “curdle,” I’ve found the taste and texture aren’t compromised. You could experiment with other milk substitutes, such as oat or soy milk as well.

This recipe is wonderful without the cheddar and chives (and actually how we enjoy it most of the time), but adding those little ingredients really makes it something special. You could experiment with any number of seasonings: different herbs, garlic, other cheeses, etc. It’s a recipe that lends itself well to innovation.

While this recipe calls for gluten free flour, in my pre-celiac days I made it with regular flour, whole wheat, etc. You can experiment with any number of different options. I find my usual 1:1 gluten free flour works just fine, though!

To make clean-up easier, I definitely recommend a silicone baking mat. They wipe off easily and keep the dough (which can be especially sticky in this recipe) from adhering to the baking sheet. Another option is using parchment paper. As an added bonus, both of those options tend to add crispness to the bottom of the bread that’s pretty tasty.

Enjoy!