31 Mar Irish Soda Bread
Irish Soda Bread
Video from my Free live cooking class
This bread is a great start for those who haven’t ventured to make bread at home before. Using bicarb soda as leavening agent, it makes Soda Bread a quick and easy recipe to go to when you need or want to make bread.
Its popularity in Ireland is due to the use of soft wheat, which makes the bread soft and bakery quality without the need of kneading or proofing. However, you can mix 1/3 of whole meal / whole wheat flour to the recipe and you will have a heavier but very nice bread too.
Let’s bake some Soda Bread!
Ingredients (serves 6 to 8)
600 gr / 4 cups all purpose / plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
312.50 ml / 1 + 3/4 cups milk
3 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• Mix the milk with the vinegar and let sit on the kitchen bench for 10 to 15 minutes (you’re making buttermilk)
• Brush a 9″ / 23cm round cake pan with oil and sprinkle with semolina
• In a large bowl add flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well combined
• Make a well in the center and gradually poor in the buttermilk
• Mix until the dough comes together (it will be sticky)
• Prepare a floured surface, turn the dough and knead gently for a few minutes, but don’t over work it
• Softly press the dough into the prepared cake pan until it reaches the edges
• Cut a cross X using a sharp knife of bread scorer of about 1/4″ / 1/2cm deep
• Sprinkle some flour over the dough to get a rustic look
• Preheat the oven to 425F / 220C
• Cover the cake pan with another baking tray
• Bake the soda bread for 30 minutes covered
• Remove the top tray and bake for further 10 minutes
• Let the bread stand in the baking pan out of the oven for 5 minutes
• Place on a cooling rack and let rest until it reaches room temperature (for at least 15 minutes). Never cut a loaf of bread when is still warm! It’s tempting, but it needs that time to finish cooking; trust me 🙂
• What’s left? Cut in slices and enjoy!
Soda bread is great the next day for breakfast toasted with butter and jam (Yummy!)
Happy baking!
Enjoy and leave your comments bellow. I love to hear from you!
Eat well and be happy!
The photo is from one of my live cooking class participants