Irish Soda Bread (AIP & Paleo), with video

My husband loves to make (and eat) corned beef and cabbage, with carrots & potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day. Once we got married, I started making gluten-free Irish soda bread to contribute to the festivities—we quite often host friends for this epic meal :) Last year, I experimented last minute with making a paleo Irish soda bread that only needed eggs as an AIP reintroduction. It was OK, but not as tasty and I’d liked and it was really really crumbly… Plus, I really wanted to figure out a version that people still in the elimination phase of AIP could enjoy too. This year, I went completely back to the drawing board and came up with this recipe I’m sharing today.

Now, as with pretty much all AIP versions of baked goods, keep an open mind when trying this recipe… By keeping this recipe elimination phase compliant, I’ve worked with some pretty strict ingredient limitations, and to be honest, it has been a couple years since I’ve had “real” Irish soda bread to compare my version to. But I have come up with what I consider to be a pretty delicious, fairly close to the real deal option.

This AIP Irish soda bread tastes the best & has the best texture the day it’s baked. However, since I also don’t recommend eating an entire loaf in one day by yourself, it does make some pretty epic toast slathered in fruit-sweetened jam (like the St. Dalfour apricot in these photos) the following day…. Just make sure to toast it in a gluten-free toaster/toaster oven or under the broiler.

Also, since I know AIP baking can be more challenging than regular baking, I’ve created my first recipe-tutorial video detailing how I make this Irish Soda Bread. Check it out below, or on YouTube. Happy baking!

Irish Soda Bread (AIP & Paleo) 

8 fl oz (1 cup), plus 1-2 additional teaspoons coconut milk 

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar  

75 g (2/3 cup) coconut flour  

80 g (2/3 cup) tapioca starch  

85 g (2/3 cup) arrowroot  

1 tablespoon gelatin  

1 tablespoon coconut sugar 

1 teaspoon AIP baking powder (see recipe below) 

1 teaspoon baking soda  

1/2 teaspoon sea salt  

48 g (4 tablespoons) palm shortening  

80 g (1/2 c) zante currants

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper—I used a quarter sheet. 
2. Measure the coconut milk into a liquid measuring cup. Add the apple cider vinegar. Set aside to make faux “buttermilk.”  
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, tapioca starch, arrowroot, gelatin, coconut sugar, AIP baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. 
4. Add the palm shortening to the mixing bowl. Use a fork or pastry blender to work the shortening in to the dry ingredients. Continue until the ingredients resemble coarse meal. 
5. Pour in the coconut milk/vinegar. Stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Once mostly combined, switch to hand kneading until the dough can be squeezed together to form a ball. If needed, add additional coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time (adding a maximum of 2 tablespoons). The finished bread will have the best texture with the least amount of coconut milk added, but the dough does need to be able to form into a ball that doesn’t completely break apart. 
6. Form the dough into a disc & place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a serrated knife (I have this one) to cut an X in the center of the dough—the X allows heat to better penetrate to the center of the bread as it bakes. 
7. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven & bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the center X is dry & the bread is golden. 
8. Remove the finished bread from the oven & allow to cool completely before slicing. This bread has the best texture the day it is made, but it also makes excellent toast the following day. Store any leftovers, wrapped, at room temperature.

AIP/Paleo Baking Powder
81 grams (1/2 cup) cream of tartar 
55 grams (1/4 cup) baking soda
30 grams (1/4 cup) arrowroot or tapioca 

1. Sift together the cream of tartar, baking soda, and arrowroot/tapioca.
2. Store in an airtight jar. Use wherever baking powder is used.

 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 
after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.