Guinness soda bread
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Guinness soda bread
This loaf comes together quickly, with no yeast or kneading required. Guinness, black treacle and maple syrup bring a rich, deep caramel flavour. It’s delicious served warm and slathered with salty whipped butter, or alongside a hearty bowl of soup
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Spencer Lengsfield
Our Senior Food Producer Spencer was born in Los Angeles, so has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean but is also heavily influenced by her family’s Louisiana heritage. She loves spice, bright flavours, and fusion food, and she has a soft spot for a chocolate chip cookie.
Ingredients
- 250g wholemeal flour
- 280g plain flour
- 100g oats, plus extra to sprinkle
- 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp fine salt
- 250ml Guinness
- 250ml buttermilk
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
Step by step
-
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Add both flours, the oats, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a large bowl. In a measuring jug, whisk together the Guinness, buttermilk, maple syrup and treacle. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Work together with a wooden spoon to make a dough that just comes together – it’ll be a little shaggy and sticky (if it’s too dry, add a splash more Guinness; if it’s too wet, add a little more flour).
-
Transfer to the lined baking tray and shape into a ball with wet fingertips. Flatten the loaf slightly, then cut a cross shape into it using the handle of a wooden spoon (make sure you don’t cut all the way through the dough). Sprinkle some extra oats on top, then bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5 and bake for a further 35-40 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow on the bottom when tapped. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
-
While the loaf cools, put the softened butter and sea salt flakes in a bowl and whip using an electric whisk until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Serve the warm bread with the whipped butter.
