Flour, yeast, water, sugar and salt. These are the basic ingredients for making bread by hand. However, the sliced bread you can buy in supermarkets bears no resemblance to proper homemade bread. Back when I was at school, I learned about the Chorleywood Bread Process as part of my Food Technology GCSE. (Side note - my coursework was to adapt lemon cheesecake for a diabetic diet. This meant I got to make lemon cheesecake over and over again - best coursework ever!). This factory method of producing bread uses more added ingredients and mechanical mixing so that the bread can be made more quickly. One of the ingredients that is very often added to bread is soya flour. This makes finding a loaf of soya free bread a tricky prospect for those with a soya allergy.
I hate shopping for bread because there are so few brands out there that don't contain soya. I tend to stick to the ones we know are ok. (We still have to check every time as manufacturers can change their recipes without notice.) But, if we end up in a different supermarket for any reason, it's a very frustrating experience to shop for bread! Picking up each loaf of bread, reading the label and most likely putting it back again. After a few minutes of this you feel like swearing... by the time you get to the end of the aisle you feel like punching the bread and screaming! How can it be so difficult to buy such a basic food? Or is that just me?
Soya Free Bread
So, soya allergy sufferers, I am here to help with a list of soya free bread in the UK. The breads listed below do not contain soya in the ingredients. Soya may be listed as a 'may contain'. And as I know many of you will also be dairy free, I've marked which ones contain milk in the ingredients (again, milk may be listed as a 'may contain'. There are gluten free options too.
If you know of any more breads that are soya free, please leave a comment below. Of course, this list is provided as a guide only. All ingredients were correct at the time of writing but please always check the labels to ensure the product is suitable for your needs.
Sliced Bread
Avoid the big brands such as Hovis, Kingsmill and Warburtons as they all contain soya. And sadly ASDA and Morrison's own brand products all contain soya. Soya free sliced bread is listed below. These breads are all made from wheat flour and may also contain other allergens - please check labels.
- Jackson's White Bloomer, Brown Bloomer and Seeded Bloomer (stocked in selected branches of Waitrose, Morrison's, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Booths, Co-op, Nisa and Ocado)
- Tesco Finest White Loaf and Finest Wholemeal Loaf
- Waitrose Wholemeal Farmhouse, Multiseed Farmhouse, Wholemeal & Rye Cob, Farmhouse Batch Multigrain, Multigrain Farmhouse, Sunflower and Pumpkin Cob and Ancient Grains & Oat Cob loaves are all soya free but NOT Waitrose Soft White Sliced, Wheat & Rye Half Bloomer or Wholemeal & Linseed Half Bloomer
- Sainsbury's SO Organic Multiseed Wholemeal Bread
- All of Iceland's sliced bread is soya free except for their Thick Sliced White Bread.
Bread Rolls
All the bread rolls in the bakery aisle that I've checked contain soya flour. The best place to find soya free bread rolls is in the free from section - see below
Speciality Brands
- Biona Organic Rye Bread
- Cranks Organic Unsliced Wholemeal Bread - stocked in Sainsbury's and Waitrose
- Polish Bakery bread - stocked in Waitrose, Morrisons, Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury's
- Rankin Ancient Grain Muffins and Potato Slims are milk and soya free. Sliced Buttermilk Soda Breads, Stoneground Irish Wheaten, Wheaten Bannock, and Irish Fruit Soda Bread, Irish Brown Soda Bread
are soya free but contain milk. (Their other products contain do soya)
Free From Bread
Sadly, a food being in the free from section does not necessarily mean it is soya free. Gluten free breads may still contain soya. These are the ones I have found to be soya free:
- ASDA Free From bread products are all gluten, dairy and soya free
- BFree - all their breads are wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, soya and nut free.
- Genius Gluten Free Sliced Bread
- Juvela Gluten Free - contains milk
- Tesco Free From Sliced White & Brown Bread (fresh and longlife versions)
- Warburton's Gluten Free Sliced Bread
- Sainsburys Deliciously Free From bread products are all gluten, dairy and soya free
- Waitrose Free From bread products are all gluten, dairy and soya free
Other Breads
These breads are usually soya free, but may contain other allergens - please check the product is suitable for your own allergies.
- Bagels
- Baguettes (note there is a small risk of cross-contamination for breads baked fresh in store)
- Bake at Home Petits Pains
- Brioche - plain (contains milk - and most chocolate chip brioche contains soya lecithin in the chocolate)
- Ciabatta
- Crumpets
- Flatbreads (often contain milk, but not always)
- Panini (contains milk)
- Part Baked Baguettes
- Pitta Breads
- Sourdough (if traditionally made)
- Tortillas (wraps)
Have you found this guide to soya free bread useful? Any more soya free breads I can add to the list? Leave a comment below and let me know! I read all your comments and I'd love to hear from you.
Tessa
M&S have soya free bread roles in white and brown 🙂
Bob Ogden
Iceland own brand thick slice bloomer is soya free and very reasonably priced, and tastes fabulous, I especially love the seeded version
Zoe
Great tip - I had completely forgotten about Iceland! When I have a minute, I'll add it to the list.
Mel Sims
I have just shared this on our huge http://www.facebook.com/thenurturebarn thanks
Trying to find which Aldi SF bread there is too.
Zoe
Thanks so much for sharing. ALDI have sold some soya free bread in the past but they don’t share the ingredients online, so I haven’t been able to check. I haven’t shopped there in a while as they don’t sell much free from stuff and I end up having to visit multiple supermarkets.
Clare Andrusyk
I’ve stumbled across you after googling for soya free shops!
My challenge to you - make a list of nut / grain free and soya free bread items. After figuring out I don’t tolerate soya, dairy, sunflower seeds / grains, rice, quinoa or potatoes I am having a nightmare as you can imagine 🙁
Zoe
That must be really tough! We did have a phase where there was literally no bread my daughter could eat due to her multiple allergies. Thankfully she has outgrown many of her allergies now so she is just allergic to milk and soya. I would try searching online for 'paleo bread recipes' as they won't have any soya, dairy, grains, rice or potatoes in. Good luck!
Sophie Heath
Really helpful, thanks!
Sammy
Iceland frozen burger buns are soya free. Co-op bakery tiger bread is also soya free and if you can find it in your local Tesco their 'botj together' bread is soya free
Zoe
Thank you for these finds!
Bernadette Morgan
Last time I was in Aldi I scoured the shelves and found all the bread they had in stock contained soya as does their chocolate range. I’m finding it tricky to get soya lecithin free chocolates. I found the fin carre bars in Lidl have sunflower lecithin. I also found the chocolate trading company have a few soya free boxed chocolates but they’re expensive.
Seems difficult to find foods without soya these days and I’m severely allergic to it.
Zoe
I quite agree, soya is in so many things it's ridiculous! Have you tried moo free chocolates? They are dairy and soya free and they have a range for grown ups as well as children. I also like Booja Booja truffles. Lindt 70% dark is soya free too, although it is listed as a may contain so it might not be suitable if you are very sensitive.
Frances Mackay
I’m not allergic to soya but have just discovered, after nearly 15 years, that soya impedes the uptake of thyroxine if you’re taking medication for an under active thyroid. So have had to ditch the soya milk, I have a mild milk intolerance hence the soya, and am now going to have to hunt for soya free, and preferable dairy free, food. I have in the past made my own bread and am happy to do so again until I can source it locally. Unfortunately during Covid 19 shut in it’s not going to be feasible to check all purchases for soya so I will revert to a very basic diet cooking fresh products. We have a Waitrose locally in Buxton only 4 or 5 miles away so when we are free to travel I will be able to buy stuff from them. Thanks for the list of breads available it will help me in the long run.
Zoe
I didn't know that soya affects thyroid medication! I'm glad this list is useful to you. We make our own bread quite often too, and I usually keep some spare loaves in the freezer.
Kim
This has helped me massively, thank you!! I thought I had issues with wheat but turns out is is soya... I actually find a burger bun hardest to find. I never go in Iceland so hadn't thought of looking. Thank you for going to this effort...you have saved me loads of time!
Zoe
You're very welcome Kim! I'm so glad you found it helpful 🙂
Irene
So Grateful I found this site! I am being tested for soy and oat allergy - and currently on a low-FODMAP diet to see what other things are making me ill. Finding bread without soy and oats but with wheat is a nightmare. I have found a new to the market Morrisons thick sliced white bloomer with sourdough has neither and tastes lovely. Wheat seems OK for now - so fingers crossed. I had tested negative to coeliac tests - but didn't realise how badly soy effects me - so I was kind of expecting wheat to be OK. Interesting to read about thyroid too - as my TSH level has been teetering on under active - which could be due to soy!
Zoe
Hi there, thanks for your comment. I'm so glad you've found the list helpful. Thank you for sharing about the bread you have found at Morrisons. I totally understand the struggle, my older daughter has done the low FODMAP diet, and my younger daughter has multiple allergies including soya, and that was really challenging! But now we have been through all the reintroductions things are much better, and it was definitely worth it.
Suki
Tesco bakery breads are soya free. Here are the ingredients to one of them:
Product Description
Crusty White Split Tin 800g Sliced
800g Sliced Crusty White Split Tin Scored and baked for a golden crust. Sliced in store.
Pack size: 800G
Information
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS: Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Water, Yeast, Salt, Dextrose, Palm Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid).
Zoe
Thank you for sharing this Suki – fresh in-store bakery bread is often soya free but sometimes it can be difficult to find the ingredients information.
Fneepette
M&S Do soya free rolls (just one kind!)
https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-super-soft-white-baps-510868011
Michael Sherman
HI Zoe . just got back from aldi . Forgot to make bread this week and checked aldi as i was there and first loaf i checked was soya free ( VILLAGE BAKERY TIGER BLOOMER ) Some won’t like it as it is very thick sliced , but perfect for my doorstep sandwiches / hope this is usefull for you , your certainly doing a great job for allergy sufferers . have a nice day. Michael
Zoe
Thank you for sharing Michael, great to know that ALDI has a soya free option too.
Chloe
Thank u for the Iceland bread I didn’t know it hasn’t got soya flour in it we will give it a try we only have tesco finest 🙂 my poor 3 year old son has severe allergies to all tree nuts dairy eggs sesame seed peanuts soya peas beans & lentils 🙁 his dream is to eat a doughnut with rainbow sprinkles:)
Zoe
Thanks for your comment Chloe, I'm so glad you found this helpful! It's not easy dealing with multiple allergies, I hope you are building up a range of safe brands and recipes that he can enjoy. My older daughter (who doesn't have allergies) loves doughnuts too. We actually bought a doughnut maker so that we can make allergy-friendly doughnuts at home! Sometimes us allergy parents have to be a bit creative to make things happen for our kids 🙂
Suki
Hey Chloe. I just want to say that my heart goes out to you and your little one. My autistic 9 year old also has severe allergies and his dream is to have a donut with rainbow sprinkles aswell. It's so heartbreaking isn't it when we have to say no
Tushar Mahajan
Good to know and learn about soya, Thanks for taking the time this, I feel deeply about it and enjoy learning so much about it!
carolyn
Hello. I bought a breadmaker as so many soya and dairy foods around and 'something' in bread really affects my 10 year old son making his tummy hurt. He's not gluten intolerant through tests but i do wonder ....He's loving homemade bread now however his tummy hasn't been great and i'm wondering if it's the flour i'm using. Normal white strong bread flour. Can you recommend any soya free flour i could use ? He's not so keen on brown but 50/50 might be ok ...i'm willing to try anything though tbh just to stop the tummy aches and upset tummy with it. Thank you
Zoe
Hi Carolyn, what tests did your son have? There is no reliable test for gluten intolerance (although there are tests for wheat allergy and coeliac disease, but these are different problems). Homemade bread made with normal strong white bread flour does not contain soya unless you are adding it yourself. So I'd suggest trying gluten free bread for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. However please speak to your doctor before exclusing any foods from your child's diet to rule out any other issues.
Jo
Tesco finest seeded loaf is Soya and milk free well priced at £1.10 and keeps well.