No Yeast Spelt Soda Bread with Chia Seeds (ready to eat in less than an hour)

This rustic spelt soda bread is packed with nutritious spelt flour and chia seeds and couldn’t be any simpler.

Regular readers will know I love my bread machine. I’ve even got a section on my blog for bread machine recipes. I hate kneading, you see, and a bread machine takes all that pesky stickiness and hard work out of the equation. The only drawback is that is is a long process. Sometimes you don’t want to wait hours for your bread fix. 

I woke up one Sunday and really fancied a nice bit of bread and a boiled egg. The only thing on offer was mass-produced white sliced bread tucked away in the freezer for emergencies. I remembered watching a Jamie Oliver video about him making soda bread. No yeast, he’d said. Quick to make. And no kneading. Yes!

Soda bread has its roots in Ireland and history says that it first made an appearance in the 1830s. It’s apparently traditionally eaten around St Patrick’s Day, although I didn’t know that. Who cares though? Bread as simple and yummy as this should be eaten any time, surely?

I looked around at a few recipes and this spelt soda bread is a kind of mishmash of everyone else’s. It’s not traditional. Of course spelt flour (both wholemeal and white) needed to factor in the equation. I also decided to throw in some chia seeds because, well, why not?

I can’t tell you how easy and quick this was. It looked rustic (part of its undeniable charm) and tasted so good. It also rose higher than I’d expected, too. With no yeast or eggs, I wasn’t expecting a great rise, but that’s what I got.

I used a skillet because I love them. You don’t have to. A flat baking tray is all you need to make this. I did use a mixture of Greek yoghurt and milk as the liquid, but I’ve seen buttermilk in many recipes. I am sure you could get away with just milk, too. It feels like an easy-go-lucky kind of bread, if you ask me.

So, the end result? Did less time in the making result in less taste in the bread? Hell, no. It tasted amazing. Slightly dense but no more so than my other wholemeal breads. The chia seeds added a depth of flavour, but I am not sure it needed them.

I was seriously blown away by how quick and easy this was to make. Since making my first loaf, I’ve whipped up several more versions, each one just as good as the first. It’s great toasted, too. Check out my sweet version with cinnamon and raisins: 

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Spelt Soda Bread (ready to eat in less than an hour)

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Irish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 220g wholegrain spelt flour
• 240g white spelt flour
• 15g chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 250ml milk

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Grease a skillet (mine is 25cm across) or line an oven tray with baking paper.
• Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the milk and Greek yoghurt together.
• Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. The dough should be slightly tacky but not too wet or too dry. Mould (or pat) into a round shape.
• Place into the skillet and with the back of your hand, push the top down so it flattens slightly, and almost fills the skillet. Taking a large knife, score a deep cross on top of the dough, almost down to the bottom of the dough.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until nice and golden. The bottom should sound hollow when tapped. Allow to cool for a while, then serve warm, topped with jam or egg.

Notes

I use grams in my recipes as weighing ingredients is the most accurate method. However, if cups are your thing, you can convert my measurements at Cook it Simply.