Irish Soda Bread

Soda bread is a variety of quick bread traditionally made in a variety of cuisines in which sodium bicarbonate is used as a leavening agent instead of the traditional yeast.

Makes one loaf.

Ingredients

  • 450 grams plain flour or spelt flour or light rye flour

  • 400 millilitres buttermilk or milk soured with a tablespoon of lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

  • 2 tablespoon fennel seeds

Method

  1. Mix together the flour, bread soda, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.

  2. Then make a well in the middle and pour in the liquid gradually, mixing with your hand in a claw shape. Don’t add the liquid all at once, and stop adding it when the mixture is soft but not sloppy.

  3. Turn out the bread onto a floured work surface and shape it into a rough round. Pat down the round until it’s around 2 centimetres thick, then cut a deep cross into the surface with a sharp knife and put it onto a floured baking tray.

  4. Bake at 220C for around 15 minutes, then turn down to 180 celsius for 30 minutes more. Tap the base after 30 minutes at 180 celsius – it will sound hollow when it’s done.

  5. Leave to cool and then slice and enjoy.

Recipe provided by Hubbub’s own Aoife Allen.

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