Brown Soda Bread

By MJH

Soda bread is quintessentially Irish and still made fresh in people’s kitchens every day. It is so easy to make and is absolutely at its best eaten the day it’s made. The bicarbonate of soda or baking soda (called “bread soda” in Ireland) is the leavening agent, reacting with the buttermilk to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide and leaven the bread.

Ingredients

• Buttermilk substitution:
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat (wholemeal) flour
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 3 Tbsp mixed seeds such as sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower, or golden flax seeds (optional)
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1 About 1 2⁄3 cups buttermilk or soured milk (see tip below)
• Milk (just under one cup)
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from dashrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C/Gas mark 7).

Sift together the flours, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and mix in the seeds (if using).

Add the butter (if using), and rub into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs.

Make a well in the center.

In another bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk and pour most of the liquid into the flour mixture.

Using one hand with your fingers outstretched like a claw, bring the flour and liquid together, adding more of the buttermilk mixture, if necessary.

The dough should be quite soft, but not too sticky.

Turn onto a floured work surface and gently bring the dough together into a round about 1½ inches (4cm) thick.

Cut a deep cross on top and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn down the heat to 400°F (200°C/Gas mark 6) and bake for 30 minutes more.

When done, the loaf will sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Remove from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool

**Buttermilk substitution:
Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.