Soda Bread

This is a quick post for a quick bread, as I don't want to take up any more of your time than necessary and neither does this soda bread. All you need to do is mix the ingredients, put the dough on a tray, and bake - there's no waiting around for it to prove, final shaping or second proving as with normal bread.

Another reason for the short post is that it's a bit busy chez Pipelette so this has ended up being another rush to sneak it in before the end of the month. I live in hope that next month things will improve...but until such a time, at least I have some delicious bread and butter to eat.

 

Things I have learnt from making soda bread:

Instead of sifting flour, you can give it a quick stir with a balloon whisk and that will have roughly the same effect (a handy Hugh FW tip).

Traditionally, soda bread would probably not have had the extra butter added in at the start of this recipe, but it makes for a moister crumb and is therefore well worth deviating from tradition for.

As with scones, this dough should be kneaded as little as possible. All you should do is smoosh all the ingredients together then dump it straight onto the baking tray – making this recipe super easy as well as super quick.

My recipe is for a slightly sweet raisin soda bread. For a great last minute accompaniment to soup simply reduce the sugar as directed and leave out the raisins.
 

 

Raisin soda bread: makes 1 large loaf

(adapted from a recipe in Leith's Baking Bible)

225g wholemeal flour

225g plain flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon salt

45g butter, chilled

2 tablespoons caster sugar (reduce to one spoonful if making a savoury version)

450ml buttermilk

200g raisins

• Preheat the oven to 190°C
• Sift the flours, bicarb and salt into a bowl
• Cut the butter into small chunks and rub in to the flour
• Add the sugar and mix briefly before pouring in the buttermilk a little at a time
• Mix to form a sticky dough (you may not need all the buttermilk), and fold in the raisins
• Shape into a rough round, dump onto a floured baking tray and sift over a little extra flour
• Slice a cross in the top, cutting most but not all of the way through the dough
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the base is fully cooked
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool