Irish · Baking

Treacle Bread

A dark, slightly sweet soda bread made with black treacle, wholemeal flour and buttermilk.

50 min prep and cooking plus time for cooling, which the recipe does not time at least 50 min start to finish Serves 8 servings Easy
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Treacle Bread, Step by Step

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  1. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and dust a tray with flour. Mix the wholemeal flour, plain flour, oats, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

  2. Whisk the treacle into the buttermilk until dissolved and pour into the flour mixture. Mix quickly to a soft, sticky dough.

  3. Shape into a round on the tray and cut a deep cross in the top.

  4. Bake for 40 minutes until dark brown and hollow-sounding underneath.

  5. Cool on a rack before slicing.

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Tips for Making Treacle Bread

  • Use a warm spoon for the treacle.
  • Mix as little as you can.
  • If your oven runs hot, check at 35 minutes.
  • Cool before slicing.

If You're Missing Something

  • Out of buttermilk? The usual stand-in is a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar stirred into 250 ml of ordinary milk and left five minutes; it is thinner than cultured buttermilk, so a batter may need a little less of it.

What to Serve with Treacle Bread

  • Salted butter
  • Mature cheddar
  • Marmalade
  • Strong tea

Storing & Reheating Treacle Bread

Keeps wrapped for 4 days. Good toasted.

Treacle Bread FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Treacle Bread take to make?

10 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking, so at least 50 minutes. The method also needs time for cooling, which it does not time, so treat that as a minimum. The recipe serves 8.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

275Calories
9gProtein
53gCarbs
3gFat
5gFibre
7gSugar
500mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .