Take your St. Patrick’s Day up a notch with this stout-infused Guinness Irish Soda Bread. No yeast necessary for this easy and delicious homemade bread!
Do you love St. Patrick’s Day? Whether you’re a corned beef and cabbage fan and always wear green, or let the day pass without a thought, everyone needs a good Irish soda bread recipe!
I’m not super into St. Patrick’s Day, but I am a food blogger, and you know we thrive on holiday-appropriate recipes!
Not only am I food blogger, but I’m also a food blogger who is doing a yearlong series on quick breads.
Did you know that Irish soda bread is a quick bread? That’s right – no yeast involved! Which makes this a super easy recipe, great for beginners, OR for anyone looking for a quick bread recipe because you don’t have a few hours to let your yeast rise.
And thus I present to you: Irish soda bread. But not just any Irish soda bread… Guinness Irish soda bread, which must make this doubly Irish, right?
By definition, a quick bread is any bread leavened with leavening agents other than yeast or eggs. Chemical leaveners, like baking soda and baking powder, are used instead.
Irish soda bread is unique because it uses sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as its leavening agent, instead of yeast.
Whether you don’t have any yeast on hand or are looking for a quicker option, this yeast-free Irish soda bread is a great easy option.
Yeast breads require one, often two, proofing steps, which can add hours of additional time. (Some, like no-knead breads, even require an overnight proofing step!)
Instead, this quick Irish soda bread takes only 20 minutes to come together and under an hour in the oven.
And the best part? It develops a real crust, like a typical loaf of yeast bread. It’s not just a savory version of a typical soft quick bread! The bread remains soft and tender with a golden crust – the perfect dinner bread.
What makes this particular Irish soda bread recipe unique is the addition of Guinness! We’re using it instead of buttermilk, which is typically necessary to activate the baking soda in the recipe.
So how does this swap work? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
Sodium bicarbonate is alkaline (hence the slightly salty taste) and interacts with acid to release carbon dioxide, which thus expands the batter and helps it to rise without the addition of yeast. We’re able to swap out the buttermilk for beer because both are acidic — buttermilk comes in with a pH around 4.5, while Guinness has a pH of 3.7 (citation).
You probably also realize that buttermilk has a higher fat content than beer. The lower fat works just fine in this recipe, but the dough will be really wet. It’s wet using regular buttermilk as well (should you decide to go that route), but it’s really wet with the Guinness.
If you’re thinking “Julie, this recipe is terrible! It’s so soupy – there’s no way this will turn into bread!” you’re right on track. Form a soupy loaf-shaped mound, bake away, and perfect Guinness Irish soda bread will come out of your oven in an hour… promise!
Take your St. Patrick’s Day up a notch with this stout-infused Irish soda bread. It’s like a double dose of Irish!
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