Wheaten Bread
Northern Ireland's nutty brown soda bread, baked in a loaf tin with wholemeal flour, oats and buttermilk.
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- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Makes
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Bread
- Cuisine
- Northern Irish
In Northern Ireland, brown soda bread is called wheaten bread. It is made with coarse wholemeal flour, often a little oats and treacle, and raised with bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk: no yeast, no kneading and no waiting.
Slice it thickly and serve with butter and jam, smoked salmon or a bowl of soup.
Ingredients
- 250 g coarse wholemeal flour
- 150 g plain flour
- 25 g porridge oats, plus extra for the top
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 25 g butter, cold, plus extra for the tin
- 1 tbsp black treacle, optional
- 450 ml buttermilk
Equipment
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- 2lb (900g) loaf tinHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Large mixing bowlHow to chooseShop on Amazon(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Butter a 2 lb (900 g) loaf tin.
- 2
Mix the flours, oats, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl, then rub in the butter.
- 3
Stir the treacle into the buttermilk, pour it into the bowl and mix quickly to a soft, wet dough. Do not knead.
- 4
Scrape into the tin, level the top and scatter with oats. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until risen and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
- 5
Turn out and cool on a wire rack, wrapped in a clean tea towel for a softer crust.
Tips
For the white version, see Irish soda bread, or cook the dough on a griddle as soda farls.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy, dense loaf | Overmixed or slow to the oven | Mix quickly and bake straight away: the soda starts working as soon as it is wet |
| Gummy middle | Underbaked | Bake until the base sounds hollow; return to the tin for 5 minutes if needed |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between wheaten bread and soda bread?
Wheaten bread is the Northern Irish name for brown soda bread made with wholemeal flour. "Soda bread" in Northern Ireland usually means the white griddle bread or farls.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice into 450 ml whole milk and leave for 10 minutes.
How long does wheaten bread keep?
Two to three days wrapped in a tea towel or bread bin. It freezes well, sliced.
Guides for this recipe
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More Northern Irish Food recipes
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Card photos: Small cakes cooling on a wire rack, James Petts from London, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; A sliced tin loaf, baked in a loaf tin, Mike Finn via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Champ: mashed potato with chopped spring onions, in a pan, Glane23 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Slices of fifteens with marshmallows and cherries, rolled in coconut, Keithawilliamson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A plate of Paris buns topped with sugar nibs, Storye book via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.