If ever there was a reason to make your own bread then said bread has got to be it. It is no knead, no yeast and pretty much an instant loaf. A loaf of measuring ingredients, putting them into a bowl, stirring and slapping onto a baking tray to bake.
My love of soda derives from working as a 16-year-old in my first Saturday job at The Maids of Honour in Kew. Bill the baker made a mean loaf of this crusty, slightly damp textured bread and I loved to eat it with his mushroom soup on my lunch break. It is best eaten with loads of butter. Butter and soda bread are just the best partners and must be eaten together.
I often teach soda bread because of the no yeast, no knead technique which certainly fits well into everyone’s daily routine as opposed to finding the time to knead a loaf, especially as most of the people I teach will not have fancy food mixers to play around with.
This is a recipe that I found on the side of a packet of Rye Flour which was on offer and I always succumb to flours on sale. I picked up a bag of spelt at the same time too. They were only £1 each. Bargain to boot. Maybe these rolls will get you baking bread too. The rye could be replaced with wholemeal plain flour if you prefer.
I enjoyed these nutty little rolls with a jam I made back in the summer but hadn’t yet tried. Definitely my best to date and based on this recipe to which I added a generous heap of Ndali Vanilla powder. It is divine. Roll on next summer’s strawberries.
I am entering these rolls into Breakfast Club hosted by Michelle at Utterly Scrummy and its original host Helen at Fuss Free Flavours. The theme this month s “Wholegrains & Breakfast to go”.
I will enter my rolls into Fresh From The Oven again hosted by Michelle at Utterly Scrummy. The theme this month is also “Wholegrains & Wholemeal”.
I am also linking my economical soda bread rolls into Credit Crunch Munch. This month’s guest host is Sarah at Dinner with Crayons. The original hosts are Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla at Fab Food 4 All.

Simple Rye Soda Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 100 g Rye flour
- 250 g Self raising flour
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tbsp Linseeds
- 284 ml Buttermilk
- Oats for garnish.
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees,
Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment,
Put the rye and self raising flour, salt, linseeds and bicarb into a bowl and stir to combine,
Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk/milk & lemon mix,
Stir to incorporate wet mixture into the dry mixture until the mixture comes together in a all of dough (add a touch more milk if the mixture is too dry or a little flour of the mixture is too wet),
Tip onto a floured work surface and knead for a minute and shape into a round flattened ball of dough,
Cut the dough into 6 segments and place on the baking tray, brush with milk and decorate with oats or more seeds,
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes then cool on a wire rack before eating.
this looks lovely Laura. I have not made sodabread but this looks so inviting with some freshly made jam. I shall have to try it out as like the idea of a yeast free quick loaf
It is very different in taste to normal bread but so good, The crust is the best bit for me and the rye gives it a nuttier flavour 🙂
Lovely pic! I always think of rye bread to be dry, how do I avoid producing a dry batch? X
Deena, rye flour does absorb more liquid so you may find you need to add some extra milk to the dough but the bicarb ensures the bread rises and isn’t heavy. I found the milk & lemon more effective for a good rise than the buttermilk actually.
Lovely – and you’re right, the butter is all important! Your jam looks pretty good too.
Love butter with this bread and the jam was the best ever. So pleased I have 2 more jars to go Sarah!
My parents used to take me for tea at the Maids of Honour quite often as a school girl, who knew you were in the kitchen:-) I’ve really got into Soda Bread recently and can’t believe I’d never made it until now. Love you rolls and the idea of using rye flour – thank you for entering Credit Crunch Munch:-)
Well I was a Saturday girl server not kitchen but did make mince pies at Xmas too. Probably why I love them so much!
Since the artisan baker opened across the road I have not been baking bread. This looks like a good one to rustle up for cheese nibbles late evening though!
These look really tasty and I love the idea of an almost instant loaf or rolls! 🙂 I haven’t ventured to far into bread baking but I really must try and make some more.
I think you would love these rolls Laura, no kneading makes them even better!
These look gorgeous Laura. I’m a big fan of rye flour and use it every week to make rye sourdough, but I’ve not tried it in soda bread. you’ve inspired me – again 🙂
i have just activated my first rye sourdough starter and will be trying it out this weekend I hope!
These look delicious and so simple. I use rye flour as a starter for my pizza dough but have never made rolls like this. Yum.
Oh bet a sourdough pizza tastes amazing too Kate
Hi Laura, I made these last week and they were just fab. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe!
That is great to hear Charlotte, thanks!
They look so good 🙂 What a lovely recipe…not too difficult with minimum kneading. They look very tasty indeed.
Yes, Anneli a real quick to produce loaf and it produces such a good crust 🙂
I’ve got really into soda breads lately (mainly for their total ease and lack of kneading), usually making a half spelt, half plain and loads of oats mix. But haven’t thought of adding rye too, would be a fab addition. Can’t believe you worked at The Maids of Honour in Kew – I lived near there for four years and each and every time I passed by in the car promised myself I’d stop by one day for one of their acclaimed afternoon teas but never did :(. And I’ve just remembered I must get you the name of the butcher in East Molsey that makes Merquez – totally and utterly slipped my mind, sorry!
Louisa, you must visit if you are ever down that way, it’s pretty much the same now as it was years ago. Cakes an pies are so good!