Irish Soda Bread

Before you start

Soda bread is the simplest loaf you can bake: soft wheat flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk, mixed quickly and baked at once. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda to make carbon dioxide, so there is no yeast, no kneading and no rising time. This is the plain white soda bread; versions with sugar, butter, egg, raisins or caraway are richer cousins, often associated with American St. Patrick's Day baking.

The dough should be soft and sticky, wetter than a biscuit dough, and handled as little as possible. Shape it quickly, cut a deep cross so heat can reach the center, and get it into a hot oven before the bubbles escape. Expect a craggy crust and a close, tender, slightly tangy crumb that is best eaten the day it is made.

Ingredients

• 450 g (3¾ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour — or a mix of all-purpose and cake flour for a softer crumb; plus extra for shaping
• 1 tsp baking soda — sifted if lumpy
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 360 to 400 ml (1½ to 1⅔ cups) buttermilk — cold, shaken well

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment and dust it with flour.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the bowl, then whisk for 20 seconds so the soda is completely dispersed.
3. Make a well in the center and pour in 360 ml of the buttermilk. With one hand shaped like a claw, or a wooden spoon, stir from the center outward in wide circles until a soft, shaggy dough forms. If dry flour remains at the bottom, add the rest of the buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be sticky but hold its shape.
4. Tip the dough onto a well-floured counter. With floured hands, tuck the edges under two or three times to make a rough round about 18 cm (7 in) across and 5 cm (2 in) high. Do not knead; it should take under 30 seconds.
5. Move the round to the baking sheet. With a floured knife, cut a deep cross across the top, going about two-thirds of the way through. Some bakers also prick the center of each quarter.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 200°C (400°F) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more. The loaf is done when the crust is golden brown, the cuts look dry inside, and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. The center should read about 93°C (200°F).
7. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. For a crisp crust, leave it uncovered; for a soft crust, wrap the hot loaf in a clean towel while it cools.

Tips for success

• Work fast once the buttermilk goes in. The soda starts reacting immediately, and a dough that sits before baking rises less.
• Buttermilk thickness varies widely between brands, which is why the amount is a range. Judge by texture: sticky and soft is right, firm and smooth means too little liquid.
• Soft wheat flour gives the most tender crumb. Bread flour makes the loaf chewy and tight.

Substitutions

Buttermilk

Thin 300 g plain yogurt with 80 ml milk, or stir 1½ tablespoons lemon juice into 375 ml milk and wait 5 minutes. Both work, though soured milk gives a slightly flatter, less tender loaf.

All-purpose flour

For brown soda bread, use 225 g coarse whole wheat flour and 225 g all-purpose. It absorbs more liquid, so expect to use the full 400 ml buttermilk or a little more.

Baking sheet

A preheated 25 cm cast iron skillet or a lidded Dutch oven gives a thicker, darker bottom crust. Bake covered for the first 20 minutes if using a pot.

Variations

Raisin and caraway soda bread

Rub 30 g cold butter and 2 tablespoons sugar into the dry mix, then stir in 100 g raisins and 1½ teaspoons caraway seeds before the buttermilk.

Soda farls

Pat the dough into a 2 cm thick round, cut it into quarters and cook in a dry, floured skillet over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes per side, until risen and cooked through.

Troubleshooting

Loaf spread flat and wide

The dough was too wet or overworked. Add buttermilk gradually, stop when the flour is just hydrated, and shape with floured hands rather than kneading.

Yellow specks and a soapy taste

Undispersed baking soda. Sift it with the flour and whisk well, and level the teaspoon instead of heaping it.

Raw, gummy center under a dark crust

The cross was too shallow or the loaf was shaped too tall. Cut deeper, keep the round about 5 cm high, and confirm doneness with a hollow sound or thermometer.

Storage

Soda bread stales quickly. Wrap it in a towel or paper bag and eat it within a day; toast it on day two. For longer keeping, slice and freeze for up to 2 months, then toast slices straight from the freezer.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough, which contains raw flour. Contains wheat and milk.