The Best Soda Bread ever...
My mother used to bake soda bread. Sometimes it had a very greenish hue. I thought it was cool - turns out, thats because of more bread soda in the recipe than the quantity of flour required. Who knew about the science!
After I married Paul; as a good farmers wife I baked bread all the time and as the legions of Irish wives before me - developed my signature soda bread. He used to call them BROWN CAKES, as his mother always did. I thought it was strange but I let it slide. There were more important changes to be made to the man I intended to spend the rest of my life with!
Here is my 'from scratch' soda bread recipe. Own it, enjoy it, make it yours.
Irish Soda Bread - Method
Developing your own particular style of bread is very easy as long as you keep to the basic rules!
1. The principle behind soda bread making is that we combine an alkaline raising agent (i.e. bread soda) with an acidic liquid (i.e. buttermilk, sour milk or yogurt) to produce air and raise the bread.
2. Rule of thumb is 1lb/ 450grams flour to 1 rounded teaspoon of bread soda.
3. Make sure the bread soda ( Bicarbonate of Soda) is not 'stale'. It needs to be kept airtight after opening - and no, please do not use one that has been languishing in the back of the cupboard for years..
4. Sieve the plain flour for optimum results but it is OK if you don’t – just make sure there are no lumps in the bread soda and mix it in well with the other dry ingredients before you add any liquids.
The more traditional way to make soda bread called for a dry mix and significant kneading on a floured surface. I prefer a wetter mix (think the consistency of very thick porridge) which you spoon into a cake tin. I find it stays moist after baking for longer and more importantly – makes less of a mess to clean up after!
- Place the whole meal flour in a bowl.
- Sieve in the cream flour and bread soda.
- Mix to ensure even distribution of the bread soda.
- Pour on the buttermilk.
- Mix to the consistency of thick porridge.
- Spoon into a greased high sided tin – either a 7” Round Cake Tin /2lb Loaf Tin / 2 x 1lb Loaf Tin.
- Smooth down the top with the back of your wet hand.
- With a knife, cut a cross down the centre of your bread dough will allow it to rise more evenly, and according to an Irish piseog/superstition - stop the devil from stealing your cooling bread!
- Bake for 40-50mins at 400F/200C/Gas 6 ( Drop temp. to 180C for fan assisted ovens) or until the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. ( the bake time will depend on tin size used . The 2 x smaller tins will take a shorter length of time.! )
- Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.
- Best eaten on day of baking.
Ingredients
- 8ozs/225 grams cream flour
- 8ozs/225 grams whole meal flour
- 1 rounded teaspoon bread soda
- A little with 400mls /15 fl.oz /¾ pint buttermilk
