Double Chocolate Irish Stout Soda Bread

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We are baking up a delicious twist on soda bread with this Chocolate Soda Bread! Made with rich cocoa powder and chocolate chunks, Irish stout, and NO yeast, this easy-to-make loaf is the perfect breakfast or sweet snack.

Bread Has Never Been Easier!

While sourdough is one of our favorite things to bake, we know that not everyone wants/has the time to tackle a yeasted bread. Over the years, my mom and I have had SO much fun sharing quicker (and easier!) versions of classic yeasted bakes such-as, no yeast cinnamon rolls, beer bread, even some old fashioned doughnuts!

But today’s recipe is something extra special…because who said soda bread needed to be savory?! We love all things sweet and this chocolate beer bread has become our new go-to for St. Patrick’s Day.

What Is Soda Bread?

Soda bread is a form of quick-bread (which is a type of bread that is leavened without the use of yeast). Traditionally, the bread is made with flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. It’s a staple in Irish cuisine and is known for its dense texture and signature cross-shaped cut on top!

This recipe, while keeping true to the traditional ingredients, has the addition of Irish stout, cocoa powder, honey, sugar, and chocolate chips to make it more dessert-like in flavor but keeping the signature texture and look of the classic bread.

The Exact Texture You Should Expect:

This beer bread has a strong crust that encases the dense, moist crumb inside. Since there’s no yeast, this bread is the exact opposite of everything you know about a yeasted bread. There’s no airy, light, bouncy interior with that gorgeous crackly crunchy crust. If you’re looking for more of an airy bread, try our buttermilk sandwich bread, sourdough hamburger buns, or even our multi-grain bread!

These Ingredients Create The Perfect Loaf

Each and every ingredient in this recipe serves a very specific purpose. It’s important to read through these ingredients if you’re wondering about substitutions or why we used certain things.

• All Purpose Flour – The base and structure of the bread. It provides starch and proteins that give the bread its shape and texture.
• Natural Process Cocoa Powder – Provides the chocolate flavor and color. Natural process cocoa powder is slightly acidic and works well with baking soda as a leavening agent.
• Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor that complements the chocolate and stout. It also helps to create a slightly moist crumb.
• Salt – Balances out the sweetness, enhances all the flavors, and helps control the rising process.
• Baking Soda – The primary leavening agent. It reacts with the acidity from the buttermilk and cocoa powder, creating carbon dioxide bubbles that help the bread rise.
• Honey – Adds a touch of sweetness, unique flavor notes, and helps keep the bread moist.
• Buttermilk – Provides acidity to activate the baking soda for a good rise. It also adds tenderness to the crumb.
• Salted Butter – Enhances flavor with richness and creates a tender texture. We used salted butter because the bread needed a little extra flavor, and we didn’t want to add additional salt.
• Guinness Draught Stout Beer – Adds a depth of flavor with notes of malt and roasted coffee, caramel, and toffee. It provides additional liquid for the dough.
• Chocolate Chips – Provides pockets of melty chocolate goodness and extra chocolatey flavor throughout the bread.

The Secret To Extra Flavor

This one step is crucial for that rich, malty beer flavor inside this loaf. Of course, if you’d rather have a less intense beer flavor, you can always skip this step…but if you love that rich maltiness (perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!), the first thing you need to do is reduce a bottle of beer down. This intensifies all the flavors and makes this bread irresistibly delicious!

First, We Make The Dough

Unlike traditional bread that needs time for kneading and proving, this dough only needs one bowl to mix, no kneading (the less mixing, the better), and there’s NO proving time. So, let’s get into it.

First, we’re just going to mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then, add the rest of the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined.

Form and Bake

Once the dough has come together, you will need to gently form into a round. With a sharp knife, cut a cross over the top of the loaf and bake! To get the perfect rise, we baked at 400°F for the entire time. This ensures a beautifully risen loaf that’s crispy on the outside and perfectly baked on the inside.

✳ Recipe FAQ’s

More Recipes You Will Love

When you make this Double Chocolate Irish Stout Soda Bread, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

Happy baking!
x, Caylie

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