Soda bread is a development of the Bannock, a griddled bread common in Scotland and Ireland. While Bannocks were originally baked without a raising agent, eventually sodium bicarbonate and buttermilk were added in order to produce a bread similar to yeast bread but much quicker to make as proving is not necessary. The bread is risen due to the lactic acid in the buttermilk reacting with the sodium bicarbonate to create little bubbles of carbon dioxide. In Ireland in particular there are many variations of soda bread. Most use wholemeal flour and are known as ‘wheaten bread’ and some include dried fruit as a sweetener.
Equipment
Baking sheet
Weighing scales
Measuring jug
Large mixing bowl
Palette knife
Ruler
Clean tea cloth
Cooling rack
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6.
Dust the baking sheet with flour.
Place the flours, porridge oats, bicarbonate of soda and salt in the mixing bowl and stir thoroughly.
Rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb consistency. You can do this in a food processor if you want to save time.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with the palette knife.
Bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips.
Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
Shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm diameter.
Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.)
Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
Transfer to the cooling rack, cover with a clean tea cloth (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool.
To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices – or simply slice across. Eat very fresh with lashings of butter.
Victorian
Serves:
8
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Resting time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour55 minutesminutes
Ingredients
250gplain flour
250gwholemeal flour
100gporridge oats
1tspbicarbonate of soda
1tspsalt
25gbutter, cut in pieces
500mlbuttermilk
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Irish soda bread
Serving Size
142 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
328
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
6.6
g
10
%
Saturated Fat
3.1
g
19
%
Cholesterol
14
mg
5
%
Sodium
515
mg
22
%
Potassium
232
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
58
g
19
%
Fiber
5.4
g
23
%
Sugar
3.6
g
4
%
Protein
11
g
22
%
Calcium
88
mg
9
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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