Vegan Apple and Walnut Soda Bread

This Apple and Walnut Soda Bread is not only quick and easy to bake but also super versatile. Delicious with salted butter, a wedge of cheese or dipped in soup. Get the recipe below. 

The secret to soda bread

As a big fan of The Great British Bake Off I've set myself the challenge of making some of the bakes from the episode suitable for those following a plant based diet.

I was so pleased when I found that soda bread was going to be on Great British Bake Off last week. I often find myself shouting at the TV on bread week because they never give the contestants long enough to bake their loaves. They always complain when they are under proved or under baked! The beauty of soda bread is that it is super quick and easy to make. It's ideal for a fast paced baking competition!

So why is soda bread so quick and easy? Instead of being made with yeast, soda bread gets its rise from baking soda / bicarbonate of soda. Hence the name! Because there's no yeast, there's no kneading either. Nor do you have to sit around and wait for the bread to prove. In fact, the chemical reaction that causes it to rise happens so quickly that you don't want to hang about. Once you've mixed your ingredients together, shape your loaf and get it in the oven as soon as possible.

Adding flavours to soda bread

Although soda bread was traditionally something simple, enjoyed by the poorer classes, the contestants have to add their own flavours to the dough. In last week's episode there were some rather extravagant flavour combinations. But, I didn't want to be too over the top with my twist on the classic recipe.

I had a few windfall apples - the last from my tree - that I wanted to add to the dough. These were peeled and diced so that they would be juicy little bursts of flavour throughout the bread. I then added some walnuts for extra crunch.

The dough is made from a mix of plain white flour and wholemeal flour. I like to use a combination of the two because wholemeal flour is more traditional and gives a better flavour. That being said, plain white flour makes the dough lighter. Some recipes call for oats to be added to the dough. But, I like to use them to stop the bread sticking to my baking tray. I also sprinkle them on top for extra texture.

How to make soda bread vegan

Buttermilk is the traditional liquid used to make soda bread. But, as I'm making a vegan version of soda bread I had to get more creative. These days the buttermilk you buy in the dairy aisle of a supermarket is milk that has been soured and thickened (rather than actually the liquid that is leftover from making butter). You can make a plant based buttermilk substitute by adding either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to a plant milk of your choosing. When using this method I find soy milk or oat milk work best.

The trick with soda bread is not to overwork the dough otherwise it ends up tough. Although legends say the cross down the centre is to let the fairies out, it actually makes sure that the loaf bakes evenly. Flipping the loaf towards the end of the bake seems to be a throw back from when bread was baked in wood fired ovens. I'm happy to keep the step in if it's traditional though now unnecessary.  Lastly, letting the loaf cool down under a tea towel retains the crust but it stays soft enough to slice through. (Of course you could just break the loaf into 4 pieces instead!)

The recipe

You can see all of my #gbbobakealong challenges here.

Serving suggestions

Why not serve with one of these tasty soups:

• Peanut Soup (vegan)
• Roasted Tomato Soup (vegan)
• Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup (vegetarian)
• Spicy Pumpkin Soup (vegetarian)
• Spicy Black Bean Soup (vegetarian)
• Chestnut and Parsnip Soup with crispy bacon bits

More bread recipes

For the full range of bread recipes on the blog check out the bread archive.

If you like this recipe let me know in the comments or leave a star rating in the recipe card! Your feedback is super important to me.