What is your go-to cozy show?
You know what I’m talking about –– the ONE show that you go to when life feels overwhelming, tough, scary, or too much. Or the one show you put on when nothing else sounds good.
For me, it used to be Gilmore Girls. I’ve watched it upwards of 10 times, and I always love it.
But lately, it has been The Great British Baking Show.
Something about the music, the low-key stress, the awkward-yet-funny humor, and the general positivity is just something I crave these days. Plus, I get a looooot of inspo for the blog from that show!
Take this soda bread, for instance. In the latest season, Mark made a chocolate stout bread, and I was intrigued. Two of my favorite things… in bread (my third favorite thing). I knew I needed to try it out.
So I did! And the results are a rustic, dense (but not too dense), soft, tasty dessert bread that requires no yeast and just about an hour from start to finish!
I love soda bread because it’s the easiest kind of bread to bake. It’s basically like you’re making a giant scone –– you don’t need any yeast or rising time. The “rise” that the bread gets comes from baking soda, which is a super fast-acting leavener that’s way less fussy than yeast. I’m guessing that you probably have some in your pantry (or fridge or laundry room) right now!
All other ingredients are pretty easy to procure as well –– flour, salt, sugar, coconut oil (or vegan butter), chocolate chips, and stout. When you’re looking for a stout, try to find one with rich chocolatey notes to pair with those chocolate chips.
I used a local stout from Insurrection Aleworks. If you don’t have a favorite chocolate-forward stout, this is the perfect opportunity to have a stout-tasting party so you can find the perfect one for this bread! You’re so very welcome.
It’s a well-known fact that homemade bread is the best kind of bread, and you just gotta love a bread that doesn’t require any rise time (it just rises in the oven while it’s baking!) and tastes like dessert with those ooey gooey pools of melted chocolate.
Spread some vegan butter on top and you, my friend, will be in a carb-filled state of bliss. Enjoy!
PrintStout Chocolate Chip Soda Bread
A soft, dense, chewy homemade bread that doesn’t require any yeast! You’ll find stout and chocolate chips in this vegan loaf!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Irish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 4 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (510 grams)*
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- big pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cold coconut oil (or vegan butter)
- 12 ounces cold stout beer
- heaping 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine your flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until combined.
- Add your coconut oil and “pinch” it into the flour until the chunks are broken into small bits and the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add your cold stout, mixing with a wooden spoon, until combined. Feel free to use your hands to make sure everything is combined. Do not overmix.
- Once your dough is nearly combined, add your chocolate chips and stir them through.
- Form your dough into a 10-inch wide circle and cut a large, deep X into the top.
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow on the bottom when tapped and the crust is golden brown.
- Allow to cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
* It’s super important to spoon and level your flour into your measuring cup. Why? You don’t want to over-measure your flour, and it’s really easy to do with measuring cups. Over-measured flour will result in tough, dry bread. Not fun! For best results, use a kitchen scale (this is the one I have).
Slightly adapted from the Cream Ale Irish Soda Bread recipe from Chowhound.
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