Buckwheat has a reputation for being difficult—dense, heavy, and a bit worthy. This honey buckwheat soda bread suggests otherwise. It's rustic and earthy, yes, but the honey softens the buckwheat's natural bitterness, and the egg gives it a lift that plain soda bread doesn't have. The result is a loaf with real character—darker than a standard soda bread, slightly nutty, and considerably more interesting.
Like the butter and honey soda bread I make at Casa Adora, this one goes into a preheated Dutch oven. No proofing, no yeast, no bread maker. It's the kind of loaf you can have on the table in under an hour from a standing start.
Honey buckwheat soda bread fresh from the Dutch oven – Casa Adora
A note on buckwheat flour
Despite the name, buckwheat is not wheat—it's a seed, and it's naturally gluten-free in its pure form. In this recipe it's combined with strong white flour, so the loaf is not gluten-free, but the buckwheat brings a distinctive earthy, slightly nutty flavour that plain white soda bread simply doesn't have. I buy mine from El Amasadero, the Málaga province mill that supplies most of my specialist flours.
Ingredients for honey buckwheat soda bread
- 250g strong white flour
- 200g buckwheat flour
- 25g oatmeal
- 350g buttermilk (see note below for alternative)
- 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda — not baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp runny honey
- ½ tsp sea salt
No buttermilk? Mix 350ml whole milk or oat milk with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Leave for five minutes — it will curdle slightly, which is exactly what you want.
Method
1. Preheat Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Place your Dutch oven inside to preheat at the same time.
2. Mix the dry ingredients In a large bowl combine the flours, oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
3. Mix the wet ingredients In a separate bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and honey until combined.
4. Combine Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until you have a thoroughly combined, sticky dough. You may not need all of the liquid — stop when the dough just comes together. Don't overwork it.
5. Shape Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly — 30 seconds is enough. Shape into a ball, slash deeply across the top with a bread knife, and dust with a little flour.
6. Bake Sprinkle the base of the preheated Dutch oven with semolina, or line with baking parchment. Lower the dough in carefully. Put the lid on and place in the oven, turning the temperature down to 180°C. Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for a further 15–20 minutes until the crust is deep and golden.
7. Cool Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool before slicing.
A few notes on honey buckwheat soda bread
Bicarbonate of soda, not baking powder — they're not interchangeable here. The reaction between the soda and the buttermilk is what gives the loaf its rise.
The egg is worth having — it enriches the dough and gives a slightly softer crumb than a standard soda bread.
Buckwheat flour varies in intensity depending on the brand and how it's milled. El Amasadero's is robust and earthy — if yours is milder, the flavour will be slightly lighter.
This loaf is best on the day it's baked but toasts well the following morning.
I hope you enjoy baking these bread recipes as much as I've enjoyed developing them. More will arrive here as they make it out of the oven and onto the page.
Find more bread recipes and food adventures at The Flexible Chef.
Wonky photos, proper bread, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.
