Grain-free Irish Soda Bread

Soda bread is the traditional bread of the Irish holiday, studded with currants and baked in a freeform loaf. We Paleo-fied this one by using ground almonds instead of flour, then added chia and flax for protein and binding. Use a spice mill or coffee grinder to finely grind the flax and chia seeds. Or skip the currants and coconut sugar, and add finely minced kale and scallions, for a savory bread with St. Paddy’s colors. Try this flavorful bread warm, with a drizzle of raw, unfiltered honey, or spread with dairy-free cheese (see our recipe here).  

1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups almond flour (finely ground almond meal)
1/2 cup currants

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine flax, chia, almond milk, vinegar and eggs. Mix well, until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, coconut sugar and salt. Mix well. Stir in currants. Add chia/flax mixture to almond meal and mix well to form a stiff dough; dough should begin to form a ball.

4. Turn ball of dough out onto parchment lined baking sheet and gently smooth surface, patting into a round loaf. Using a serrated knife,cut an X in the top of the loaf.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.