Bread has always been made in Ireland. The ancient Irish made an unleavened cake from oats and other cereals. Around 1850 soda as a leavening agent was introduced into Ireland and the first traditional soda breads were born.
Our climate is perfect for the growth of Irish soft wheat's. Hard wheat's, which require extremes of temperature and make flour with a high gluten content, producing bread which rises high and responds well to being leavened with yeast, do not prosper here.
The marriage of the Irish wheat flour with soda combined with an ample supply of wood and peat meant that anyone with a hearthstone could afford to bake, and they did.
Today, the baking of soda bread at home has become less popular. Nonetheless, Irish soda bread is still part of our culture and heritage
and the consumption of soda bread is still as popular as it always was.
Being a yeast free product it is ideal for the yeast intolerant.
Irish Soda bread is one of the great treasures of the Irish table and we at the Foods of Athenry combine top quality ingredients, history, passion and enthusiasm with a sometimes modern twist to produce our range of Soda Breads . We hope you enjoy eating them as much as we enjoyed making them!
Brown Soda Bread
Our 600gram brown soda is dressed with oats for a rustic feel. This is our sugar-free soda bread option. The addition of wheat bran makes this a high fibre bread. The added oatflake and pinhead oatmeal fortify this bread with extra B Vitamins and Flavonoids (anti-oxidants which help break down cholesterol) . As with all our products, our Brown Soda contains no yeast, salt, preservatives, additives or hydrogenated fats. Enjoy!
Treacle Soda Bread
Our treacle soda with sultanas is a sweet dark bread. Although this is a sweet bread it is equally good on its own or with either a sweet or savoury topping. I particularly like it with cheddar cheese and pickle on top. Or fried in the pan with my Irish breakfast! The heat brings out that lovely malty flavour and this is a bread which evokes childhood memories for many’s the Irishman. !
Spelt Soda Bread
Our Spelt Soda bread is sweetened with honey and is a rich nutty seeded bread. The addition of oatmeal, sunflower/sesame/pumpkin and linseeds make this a tasty alternative to wheat sodas. Spelt flour is easy to digest and is a slow release carbohydrate . Fortified with Oats (high in B vitamins and cholesterol reducing fibre), Sunflower Seeds (for Vitamin E,Vitamin B and minerals), Pumpkin ( contain omega-3 and omega-6 oils, B Vitamins and Iron,also a good source of Protein), Sesame (rich in B Vitamins, Zinc and Omega-6) and Linseeds ( this tiny wonder-food is rich in Omega-3 and contains many essential nutrients) , this bread is one to try.
Spelt flour (triticum spelta) is an ancient grain and is a distant cousin to modern wheat (triticum aestivum). This grain is naturally high in fibre and contains more protein and B Vitamins than wheat. Spelt has a tough husk which protects the kernel and helps it to retain its nutrients and also protects it from pollutants and insects, allowing growers to avoid using pesticides.It is a low gluten grain and does not usually trigger a reaction in most cases of wheat and gluten sensitivity. It is not suitable for coeliac.
Raisin Soda Bread
A Sweet white soda bread with raisins. ‘'Spotted Dick’ as it is affectionately Known.
