How do you guys do with yeast? I’m personally quite okay with it, which is probably also why there hasn’t been many bread recipes here on the blog. Let’s just agree it is high time to change that with this Easy No Yeast Low Histamine Bread recipe.
This is only the second bread recipe to make it onto the blog, in the entire two and a half years this blog has been online. Only to be proceeded by the recipe for Cauliflower Sandwich Bread which I usually use to make sandwich buns from. I have been wanting to publish a more traditional soda bread recipe here ever since I published the Cauliflower Sandwich Bread recipe.
Honestly I have had a very difficult relationship with soda bread. It always seemed to turn out either as dense as a rock or with a good texture but with an overpowering taste of soda. But after a couple of months of recipe testing, I have perfected a soda bread recipe to meet my texture and taste requirements. And lets just say it is kid approved…. when I make this the kids cheer and we eat the whole loaf within a day
It is pretty easy and quick to do once you get a hang of how to handle the dough. In total it takes me less than an hour to make the dough and bake the bread. You start by getting all of the gear and ingredients ready and turn on the oven. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl (spelt flour, salt and baking soda), set aside. Next, in a measuring cup, first measure out the yogurt, then add the milk followed by the apple cider vinegar (optional), stir to combine the yogurt and the milk. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until the dough starts to come together. Get your hands in there a kneed it briefly until you get one ball of dough.
Place the ball of dough onto a baking tray lined with grease proof parchment paper. Flatten it out with your hands until you get a thick disc (I wet my hands before I do this, it makes it easier and gives the finished bread a more smooth surface). Then wet a big sharp knife and cut a cross into the disc, it is important that you cut relatively deep into the dough, as this helps the dough rise in the oven. Make a cut that is about 2/3 of the disc deep, wet the knife between each cut. I like to make 4 cuts in total in my bread, making it look a bit like a wheel. Don’t worry too much about the bread being perfectly round. I gave mine a quick egg wash, to give it that golden finish. But is totally optional, and not very common to practice in regards to soda breads I believe.
Place the bread in the middle of a preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The bread is ready when it has a nice golden color, and it sounds hollow if you tap it on the bottom. Let the bread cool down for a bit on a wire rack before you serve it. It tastes the best when it is still a bit warm, and goes great with salted butter or jam (or both at the same time…. yum).
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Quick and Easy Soda bread with a great texture and no overpowering baking soda taste. from ingredients to bread in less than an hour. Tastes best the when it is still a little warm, great with salted butter or jam.
Ingredients
- 500 g spelt flour (17.6 oz)
- 100 ml thick yogurt (I used sheep yogurt / 0.42 cups)*
- 300 ml milk of choice (I used goats milk / 1.27 cups)*
- 1– 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)*
- 1 egg for egg wash (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (392 °F).
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl (spelt flour, salt and baking soda), set aside.
- Next, in a large measuring cup, first measure out the yogurt, then add the milk followed by the apple cider vinegar (optional), stir to combine the yogurt and the milk.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until the dough starts to come together. Get your hands in there a kneed it briefly until you get one ball of dough.
- Place the ball of dough onto a baking tray lined with grease proof parchment paper. Flatten it out with your hands until you get a thick disc (I wet my hands before I do this, it makes it easier and gives the finished bread a more smooth surface). Then wet a big sharp knife and cut a cross into the disc, it is important that you cut relatively deep into the dough, as this helps the dough rise in the oven. Make a cut that is about 2/3 deep, wet the knife between each cut. I like to make 4 cuts in total in my bread, making it look a bit like a wheel. Don’t worry too much about the bread being perfectly round.
- I gave mine a quick egg wash, to give it that golden finish. But is totally optional.
- Place the bread in the middle of the oven and bake for about 30 min.
- Once golden on top, and sounding hollow when you tap on the bottom of the bread, the bread is done. Remove from the oven, and let it cool down on a wire rack. The bread is best when it is still a bit warm to the touch and goes great with salted butter or jam.
Notes
- If you haven’t found any store bought yogurt that you tolerate, try making your own using Histamine Friendly Probiotics.
- I used a very thick yogurt, if the yogurt you use is on the thinner side, you might need to add less liquid.
- It is also possible to replace the yogurt and milk with buttermilk. In that case though you need less liquid (300-350 ml). Plant based alternatives are of course also an option.
- The apple cider vinegar is optional in this recipe. I find that it help the bread rise just that extra bit.
- Note: You need to have one source of acid in the recipe, in order for the bread to rise properly. The bread rises due to a chemical reaction between the baking soda and the acid.
Save this Easy No Yeast Low Histamine Bread recipe for later. Pin it 😀
what would the measurements be in “cups”?
Hi Ann,
The measurements for the yogurt and milk are listed both in milliliters (ml) and cups. The flour is given in grams (g) and in ounces (oz).
Tania
30 milliliters equal 1 oz
8 oz equal 1 cup I believe
Thank you Deena for the assist 😀
Tania,
I love your site, but those of us in the U.S. have to do elaborate and inaccurate conversions for your recipes. Further, many of your ingredients are not available in the U.S., even on Amazon. As for the Cauliflower Bread, the inclusion of Yogurt and Apple Cider Vinegar (optional) are absolute No No’s, especially for people with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Believe me, BREAD has been my number one quest for the past year. Currently, I’m doing the “doctored” Irish Soda Bread that IS dense with an impenetrable texture, but at least it stays down and doesn’t make my skin swell. For Masties, please be careful recommending anything with animal fats or fermented products. Its terrible to get our hopes up with lovely photos only to be dashed by a taboo ingredient list. I know it’s individual, but many of us are literally starving out here. Thanks for listening, and please keep posting. Your Low-Histamine Stock recipe (with tweaks) has kept me alive. Gratitude and respect.
Hi Valerie,
Thank you for your feedback. I understand your frustration, and I wish that all my recipes could be equally suitable for all people….but since this is not a one size fits all kind of situation that will be incredibly difficult. Which means that from time to time there will be recipes which are not suitable for you unfortunately. As for the bread situation, it is still my goal to develop a recipe, or find a recipe that is more suited for a wider range of people suffering from histamine intolerance (including myself) and MCAS.
I try me best to include cups and oz along with the metric system measurements in my recipes, but I know I fail sometimes and many of my earlier recipes are mainly written with metric system measurements. Please help me make this better by pointing out the recipes which are giving you problems. And I will do my best to rectify it.
My recipes here on the blog reflects what I eat and what inspires me food wise, and since I run this blog on a hobby basis, the content is largely dictated by that. However, I love it when you guys make requests for recipes, and while I can’t promise that a recipe request becomes next weeks blog post or even next month, I do try to take them into consideration and sometimes the ideas you guys have down right inspires me. Take the Low Histamine Stock recipe – that is actually a reader request.
Gratitude and respect right back at ya, for staying so strong and sharing your frustrations Valerie.
Tania
Hi Tania, may I ask you how you make your Irish Soda Bread? I also struggle with yogurt and vinegar. Many thanks
Hi Helena,
I make the bread with both yogurt and ACV, I know this can cause an issue for some. You can make the bread without these ingredients, I however find that the added acidity is what makes the bread rise successfully. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer for you at the moment.
Tania
Is jam really okay to have? I’m not worried about the bread in Sweden but I do wonder what I can put on…
Hi Nina,
In terms of jam it for a large part depends on the fruit/berry the jam is made of. My go to jam is blackberry jam 🙂 Most store bought jams are of course very sugar filled products, if you are very sensitive to high sugar products you can also make your own jam with fruits/berries you tolerate and and add your preferred sweetener (sugar, honey, dates, etc) along with some chia seeds to help it thicken. That way you can also make smaller portions, like just the amount you need and nothing more.
Otherwise in terms of what to put on bread. I honestly mostly eat it with good quality salted butter (I am a Dane after all ;o)), and I eat very little bread in general.
I hope this answers your question to some extent,
Tania
Hello
Is there anyway to make this Gluten free? I am not celiac but have been avoiding gluten.
Hi Jennifer,
I haven’t managed to make a gluten free version yet, which I like. However, I’m not a very talented gluten free baker, so don’t let that discourage you.
Tania
Dear all,
I just found this wonderful site and have been reading through the recipe and comments.
From other blogs there are some hints I would like to add:
to make a gluten-free version, it seems that a mix of (white) rice flour, tapioca starch and coconut flour might be the best option. Apparently especially the Japanese white flour, used for making mochi seems to work well. I also experimented with my home-made rice flour, simply by grinding a good quality organic basmati flour. Basmati and jasmin rice are easier on the digestion. This worked ok for me. It might be worth investing in a small grain mill for this purpose (there are also kitchenaid extension for that purpose). I found that I tolerate this flour rather well, whereas I had issues with other baked goods made from rice flour in the past. For me personally, buckwheat flour or teff flour are also very good options, though they might alter the taste (buckwheat has a distinctive, mildly nutty taste. this article on a NZ site provides further information on why buckwheat seems to be mostly well-tolerated among people with histamine issues and/ or allergies.
https://www.baybuckwheat.co.nz/home/allergen-friendly/
Regarding the buttermilk topic, I found other ideas on websites regarding suitable substitutes:
– for those who tolerate uncultured dairy: make your own buttermilk by churning organic milk/ cream into butter.
– for those avoiding dairy completely: creating a ‘vegan buttermilk’ by adding l-ascorbic acid to coconut milk or another plant-based milk you might tolerate (notes below the recipe).
For details on the process, please see here https://www.low-histamine.com/recipes/irish-soda-bread-recipe/.
I hope this proves helpful to some of you. Thank you all for sharing your tips as well as concerns. Together we can make it easier to cope with our sensitivities!
Astrid
Hi Astrid,
Thank you so much for all your research and for sharing it <3
Tania
I just made this bread and loved it! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Great to hear Heather 😃
Hello
Can your bread be purchased or donations made to try it.. 🙂
Thank you?
Yay BREAD! Didn’t realize how much I craved bread til I had GI/IBS/gluten sensitive/histamine intolerant/ MAST cell issues🙄 Thank you for this wonderful recipe ❤️
1st off, ppl – Tania is offering a lovely self-less blog here to share with others who have her HI condition. Don’t get on her case for issues you can solve easily yourselves. Google conversions, or get a kitchen scale for $10 US! Anyway, any recipe, esp GF, is best at grams/weight vs cup measurements FYI. And thx Tania for all your helpful recipes and histamine intolerance info!
Tips I found/tried:
Added 1 egg (minus some to wash per recipe) to batter & 1 tsp gelatin, 1 Tbl protein whey powder …just to make my guilty bread carb pleasure less guilty 🤫
Increased flour some, seemed runny (extra egg probably). Have to go by feel – sh be like thick cake batter/cookie dough if you’re not used to bread dough. Mine ended up too runny and came out flatter than I’d like. Tasted great tho. Ate it all 😋 Next time I’ll make thicker batter. BTW Flour hydration, age, etc are all factors. Nothing is that precise – don’t blame the messenger (or the blogger!)
Re jam, sugar, corn : I can’t do white sugar so for tea, baking, general use I’ve found xylitol the best sub in general for taste, price, ease etc. Amazon has in bulk. Make your own jam – just keep in fridge vs “canning” putting up in jars in pantry.
I also have corn issues so even honey can be a problem. Why? Unless it’s local beekeepers (who care about their bees) large honey mfrs feed the bees corn syrup (!). That’s when, and only when, I get reactive to honey I’ve found. Ask! or just buy locally if you can. Usually safe.
I can eat anything “naturally” sweet : maple syrup, local honey, monkfruit, veg glycerin (not made from corn – ask!), Tho I have issues with stevia (the erythritol added? Is it “old” so histamines created?) Just FYI to help with your bread and sweeteners 😉
Also found easy to remove my oval (oh well… doesn’t matter) shaped bread if using parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Used sorghum (I don’t react, not celiac just gluten sensitive) and tigernut flours. Could use non glysophate touched wheat flour. I’ve read that Roundup usage and GMOs are the real issues most ppl have vs actual gluten (e.g. einkorn flour is old school, heirloom, organic but wheat – I don’t react!) Try… that all you can do.
Next time I’ll try different Gluten free flours and report back.
Thx again for all your help. Great bread recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Marlene
Thank you so much for posting your comment 🙂 It really made my day <3 Hope to hear more about your gluten free adaptations of my recipes. Since I'm not glueten free myself, it is not one of my strongest areas 😉
Tania
Thank you Marlene! This helps a lot and seems to confirm some of my experiences.
Living in Paris, where I purchased mpost of my foods form a local farmer’s market, where I got superfresh veggies, raised in a “better than organic” way, I had no issues. There, I also purchased all other products (buckwheat, flours etc) from organic shops with a high turnover- no issues at all, and the French also value good-quality produce, which means I can be sure that produce is prepared or processed in a traditional way.
Fast forward, spending time in Germany, i developed serious issues, as :
– veggies etc were not available in the quality and freshness my gut was used to
– I had to make compromises regarding the quality and origin of other products and went to shops that did not have such a high turnover.
– I was i n a rural area, where I cannot be certain about the use of Glyphosate or derivatives on fields/ its presence in water.
Same as you, I also suspect Glyphosate/ pesticides and GMOs to be the real culprits for my troubles. (*gluten-sensitivity and histamine intolerance). heirloom products (Einkorn, or also flour that have been cultivated and processed the traditional way – e.g. grinding on stone mills) or using traditional ways for preparation (such as bronze basins in pasta production) makes a huge difference and I usually tolerate these products well. Tigernut flour is also a great ‘secret ingredient’ for me, and soaked tigernut seeds can easily be made into a dairy-free nutmilk (the traditional version is Spanish chufa, yet sensitive people should avoid adding surgar)
Just sharing, hoping this might be of use to someone else.
Hi, can it be made with plain flour or ground rice flour?
Hi Lee,
I honestly don’t know – try and see what happens. Please let me know how it goes.
Tania
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I’m just starting out on my low histamine journey (literally. today’s the first day of a couple of weeks of drastically reduced intake of histamines to see whether that reduces my symptoms) and this bread has given me a lot of positive energy 🙂
Hi Juliana,
Thank you for your comment, I hope your journey has brought you lots of positive energy <3
Tania
I there, first of all thank you so much for blog, it is the light at the end of tunnel for me!!:) And really tasty recipes!! I have one question: when I bake the bread or the cakes do I have to freeze it straight away or can I keep it in the cupboard for a few days? Thank you so much for sharing your amazing work!! Rita.
★★★★★
Hi Rita,
Thank you so much for your comment. As for the freezing question, as a general rule of thumb I freeze everything which I know I won’t eat within 24 hours.
Tania
please and thank you
korean thank you very much
Sorry I can’t translate it to Korean if that is what you mean.
Hi. Love the bread. Can I make into rolls instead and if so hiw long to cook?
try with a baking time of about 15 minutes plus/minus