oda bread has
been a specialty of Ireland for over a century. As its name implies, 'soda'
bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from 'baking soda' (bicarbonate of soda).
It belongs to the family of 'quick' breads, like scones, and contains baking soda
along with flour (all purpose and/or whole wheat), salt, and buttermilk (or
soured milk). When raisins (currants or sultanas) and a little sugar are
added to the dough the name changes to Spotted Dick or Spotted Dog.
For this recipe I have
decided to make scones instead of a usual round of bread. You can use all white flour, all brown flour, or a combination of the two
flours.
The important thing to remember when making soda bread is to have a quick light
hand because baking soda starts to react as soon as it becomes wet. So get
the scones into the oven as soon as possible. Also, these scones contain
buttermilk which has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich
tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender.
Whereas in the past it was the liquid left over after churning butter it is now
commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by
adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to
1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Preheat oven to
425
degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large
bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the
center of the flour mixture and add most of the buttermilk. Using one
hand, or a wooden spoon, mix (adding more buttermilk if necessary) until you
have a soft, moist dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and
gently
knead the
dough into a 7 - 8 inch (18 - 23 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick. Cut this
circle into 6 triangular sections. Place the scones on your prepared
baking sheet and brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk and then dust
with a little extra flour. This
gives the baked scones a wonderful floury brown crust.
Bake
for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into
the center of a scone comes out clean. Test by tapping the bottom of a scone -
it should sound hollow. Remove from oven. These scones are best
served warm from the oven with a little butter and jam.
Makes 6 large scones.
Sources:
Alexander,
Stephanie. The Cook's Companion. Penguin Group (Australia). London:
2004.
Allen, Darina.
Ballymaloe Seasons. Roberts Rhinehart Publishers. Niwot, Colorado: 1997.
Allen, Myrtle.
Myrtle Allen's Cooking at Ballymaloe House. Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
New York: 1999.
Davidson, Alan.
The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. Oxford: 1999.
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oda bread has
been a specialty of Ireland for over a century. As its name implies, 'soda'
bread gets its rise, not from yeast, but from 'baking soda' (bicarbonate of soda).
It belongs to the family of 'quick' breads, like scones, and contains baking soda
along with flour (all purpose and/or whole wheat), salt, and buttermilk (or
soured milk). When raisins (currants or sultanas) and a little sugar are
added to the dough the name changes to Spotted Dick or Spotted Dog. 
