No buttermilk? No oven? No problem! This air fryer soda bread without buttermilk is super easy to make and bake. You just need milk, lemon juice, flour and baking soda and you’re good to go.

The slices are the perfect size for sandwiches, toast and soup, so it's a really versatile, convenient way to whip up a loaf of bread in a hurry.
To make your air fryer soda bread, you'll first stir lemon juice into milk, causes it to sour and become a perfect substitute for buttermilk.
You'll then mix flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda together, stir in the lemon-soured milk and voila, your soda bread dough is ready to bake!
The dough takes no more than 10 minutes to make, and the loaf takes 40 minutes to bake in the air fryer, so you can go from zero to fresh bread in under an hour! Isn't that cool?
Read on for the full recipe with detailed instructions and a helpful photograph for every step. And if you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 275 g (9.7 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour) plus more to flour your surface
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) baking soda
- 200 ml (6.8 floz) whole milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
Measure your milk into a jug.
Squeeze in the lemon juice and set aside.
Put the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
Mix together and form a well in the centre. Dip your spoon in your milk. If it seems to have separated or have ‘bits’ in it, it’s ready! Pour your milk into your bowl with the flour.
Mix until you have a very wet, gloopy dough.
Cover your work surface in a generous layer of flour and tip your dough onto it. Sprinkle the top of your dough with flour then gently form it into a ball – it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Lift onto a piece of baking paper.
Score a cross in the top with a knife to help the dough rise.
Place in the air fryer.
Set to 160C/320F and bake for 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, covered with a tea towel.
Enjoy!
Once you've given my recipe a go, I'd love you to come back and leave a comment letting me know how yours turned out.
I'd love to see your videos and pics, too! Just tag me on social media. I'm @emilylearycooks on Twitter and TikTok or @amummytoo on Instagram.
Print this air fryer soda bread without buttermilk recipe
Air Fryer Soda Bread without Buttermilk Recipe
Ingredients
- 275 g (9.7 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour) plus more to flour your surface
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) baking soda
- 200 ml (6.8 floz) whole milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Measure your milk into a jug.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and set aside.
- Put the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
- Mix together and form a well in the centre.
- Dip your spoon in your milk. If it seems to have separated or have ‘bits’ in it, it’s ready! Pour your milk into your bowl with the flour.
- Mix until you have a very wet, gloopy dough.
- Cover your work surface in a generous layer of flour and tip your dough onto it.
- Sprinkle the top of your dough with flour then gently form it into a ball – it doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Lift onto a piece of baking paper – shape again if necessary.
- Score a cross in the top with a knife to help the dough rise.
- Place in the air fryer, set to 160C/320F and bake for 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, covered with a tea towel.
Nutrition
More air fryer baking recipes to try
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