Soda Bread and Variations

Soda bread is the speedy, no-knead alternative to yeast bread.  Perfect for soup dipping, baked cheese dipping, with smoked salmon, alongside a rich beef stew...I could go on!
This is my recipe for a basic soda bread, it can be made with half wholemeal, half white if you prefer.  I have included some of my favourite variations below, sweet and savoury.
Soda bread is really best eaten on the day it is made, even better when still slightly warm!

It is traditionally made with buttermilk (or very traditionally soured whole milk), I most often use a mixture of natural yogurt and milk, it's just as good and easier to get hold of. 

 

Ingredients

400g Plain Flour

1 level teaspoon Salt

1 level teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

325ml Buttermilk or half Natural Yogurt, half Milk

• Preheat the oven to 210C (fan) and oil a baking tray.
• Combine the flour with the salt and the bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.
• Pour the buttermilk or yoghurt/milk mixture into the flour bowl then mix lightly with a fork until it just comes together into a loose, wet dough.
• Tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and turn it around in the flour, lightly shaping it into a round ball.
• Put the ball of dough onto the oiled baking tray and cut a deep cross into it.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until risen, craggy and golden brown, you can insert a skewer into the middle to check it comes out clean.

 

Variations

Soda bread lends itself very well to flavourings, savoury or sweet, the following are ones that I know and love.  You will probably find that the loaf will need slightly longer in the oven, about 30-35 minutes should do it.

Caramelised Onion and Feta Cheese

Add about 2 tablespoons of caramelised onions and 100g of crumbled feta cheese to the flour and mix through before adding the liquid.

 

Spiced Apple and Raisin (Sweet)

Mix 50g Caster Sugar, 1 level teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon, half a teaspoon of Ground Allspice, an eating apple peeled, diced and cooked (just until tender in a small pan with a squeeze of lemon juice) and a few handfuls of raisins into the flour bowl before pouring in the liquid.

Cheese and Pickle
Mix 100g Strong Mature Cheddar and around 4 tablespoons of Branston's Pickle (or any chutney you like) into the flour bowl before pouring in the liquid.  Sprinkle the top with more cheese before baking.

Seeds and Fruit (Sweet)
(I usually use jumbo raisins and cranberries with a mixture of pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
Mix 75g of Caster Sugar, around 150g Dried Fruit and 50g of Seeds into the flour bowl before pouring in the liquid.  Before it goes in the oven brush with milk then sprinkle with demerara sugar and more seeds.
 

Spiced Apple and Raisin

   

 

Cheese and Pickle

    

 

 Seeds and Fruit