Irish Soda Bread | Egg & Dairy-Free

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Coat a 9" x 5" -inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper. If you have a non-stick loaf pan, simply coat it with non-stick spray. To start the bread, add the lemon juice to the non-diary milk and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. *Note: White vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used instead of lemon juice. Basically you are just looking to curdle or turn the milk sour—creating a buttermilk-like liquid. Add the flax meal to a medium-sized bowl and add the water. Set aside. Next, in a large bowl, measure and mix together the dry ingredients. Break up the brown sugar with your hands and sift in the baking soda and baking powder just to make sure there are no lumps. Stir to evenly combine. Next, whisk the flax eggs together and then add the non-diary/lemon mixture (a.k.a. the "buttermilk") to the flax. Mix to combine. At this point, form a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients over top. Stir gently but quickly - just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Don’t over-mix as you do not want to develop too much gluten. Pour or spoon the mix into the prepared loaf pan and place into the oven. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The top should also be a nice, even golden color.

Once done, transfer to a cooling rack. Let the soda bread sit for about 5 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan. Let cool before serving. Serve with non-diary butter, jam or just plain. The bread goes well with both sweet and savory dishes.