Soda bread
Soda bread is a kind of soft, golden bread made with baking soda. In its most basic form, it contains only four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk.
Other ingredients can be added. For example, adding some sugar, raisins, and butter will make it a raisin soda bread.[1]
Soda bread, or Irish brown bread, became prominent in 19th-century Ireland during the Great Famine (formerly called the "Irish potato famine"). It was dense and made of wheat, so it was cheap and filling. It truly became a lifeline during tough times.[2]
Preparation
[change | change source]Soda bread does not use yeast to get it to rise. Instead, the rise comes from baking soda reacting with the acid (soured milk or buttermilk).[1] This makes it a 'quick' bread that can be made in under 15 minutes. The important thing to remember is to mix and knead the dough quickly and lightly. This will make a bread that is dense, but not doughy, with a tender, slightly moist interior.[1]
Once the dough is formed into a round, a cross is cut on the top of the bread, which divides it into quarters called farls.[1]
References
[change | change source]- 1 2 3 4 "Raisin Soda Bread Recipe With Picture - Joyofbaking.com *Tested Recipe*". joyofbaking.com. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ↑ Michael (2025-02-12). "The Soul-Stirring Tale of Irish Brown Bread History | Big Yums". bigyums.com. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
