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Soda Bread Contest Information for Judges

HELENA AOH IRISH SODA BREAD CONTEST
 (Courtesy of the Seattle Irish Heritage Club and used with their permission)

Soda Bread Contest Information for Judges—Glorified Soda Bread Rules

Thank you for taking time to be judges in this year’s AOH Annual Soda Bread contest. The rules are specific so please take the time to read through them before the contest starts.

Entries that do not meet the requirements for white or brown soda bread should be switched to the glorified soda bread category. Feel free to “freshen” your palate in between entries with a few swallows of tea.

Glorified Soda Bread Rules
Entries in this division are based on these ingredients:
Any kind of flour
Any source of acid (necessary to activate the chemical leavener)
Any chemical leavener (incl. baking soda, baking powder, & self-rising flour)
Salt to taste

This division is for glorified soda bread. Do not “glorify” the bread so much that is becomes a cake! This year, bread shaped cakes will be disqualified. A cake is a sweet dessert that contains sugar and eggs and is made from a batter. Bread is a food of leavened flour that is made from a dough. The judges should be able to recognize your entry as a loaf of bread and not a cake. Because this is a soda bread contest, no yeast risen breads are allowed.  

The Glorified Contest is where you enter your aunt Mary’s traditional soda bread that called for mashed potatoes and currents. Or your mother’s traditional soda bread that included wheat bran, caraway seeds, an egg and raisins. Or maybe your own creation that uses soured goat milk, golden raisins soaked in whiskey, white flour and a drop of green food coloring.

Judging Guidelines
Points to keep in mind:

  • It should be obvious to you that the entry is soda bread but the loaf can be any shape or any color.
  • When made correctly soda bread has a hard crust outside with a soft and floury interior that has a dense but tender texture. 
  • A chewy or tough texture inside is a sign that the dough was overworked.
  • If you find big holes, lumps or dark streaks inside, the leavening was not combined with the dry ingredients properly.
  • A soapy, salty or bitter taste or a soapy odor is caused by too much baking soda being left in the dough. This can be caused by using too much baking soda or by not having enough acid (sour milk) to react with the soda.

Dry texture can be caused by too much baking soda, too little liquid or not being baked at a high         enough temperature.         

Soda Bread Contest Information for Judges—Traditional Brown Soda Bread Rules

Thank you for taking time to be judges in this year’s AOH Annual Soda Bread contest. Rules were changed this year so please take the time to read through them before the contest starts. In particular, the rules for the glorified soda bread category have been changed to more clearly reflect the name of the contest. 

Entries that do not meet the requirements for white or brown soda bread should be switched to the glorified soda bread category. Feel free to “freshen” your palate in between entries with a few swallows of tea.

Traditional Brown Soda Bread Rules
Entries in this division contain these four ingredients:

  • Whole wheat flour (no white flour allowed)
  • Soured milk
  • Baking soda (also called bread soda & sodium bicarbonate)
  • Salt

Do not use self rising flour or baking powder. Bread that contains ingredients other than the four listed above will be entered in the glorified soda bread division.

Judging Guidelines
Points to keep in mind:

  • Entries that contain ingredients other than those listed should be switched to the Glorified division.
  • The bread should be 100 percent whole wheat with no white flour.
  • Tap the loaf on the bottom, if the bread is baked properly it should have a hollow sound.
  • Soda bread is usually made in the traditional round loaf with a cross cut deep into the top and over the sides. This cut widens during baking giving the cake its customary appearance.
  • When made correctly soda bread has a hard crust outside with a soft and floury interior.  
  • Soda bread is naturally more dense than yeast risen breads. The loaf itself should not have a high dome (which might indicate an unauthorized ingredient such as baking powder). The interior of a good loaf should be dense, tender and floury not light, airy and chewy.  
  • A chewy or tough texture inside is a sign that the dough was overworked.
  • If you find big holes, lumps or dark streaks inside, the leavening was not combined with the dry ingredients properly.
  • A soapy, salty or bitter taste or a soapy odor is caused by too much baking soda being left in the dough. This can be caused by using too much baking soda or by not having enough acid (sour milk) to react with the soda.
  • Dry texture can be caused by too much baking soda, too little liquid or not being baked at a high enough temperature.

Soda Bread Contest Information for Judges--Traditional Soda Bread Contest Rules

Thank you for taking time to be judges in this year’s AOH Annual Soda Bread contest. The Rules are specific so please take the time to read through them before the contest starts. There are three divisions: traditional white soda bread, traditional brown soda bread and glorified soda bread.

Traditional Soda Bread Rules
Entries in this division must contain these four ingredients:

  • Wheat flour
  • Soured milk
  • Baking Soda (also called bread soda & sodium bicarbonate)
  • Salt

Do not use self rising flour or baking powder. Bread that contains ingredients other than the four listed above will be entered in the glorified soda bread division.

Judging Guidelines

Points to keep in mind:

  • Entries that contain ingredients other than those listed should be switched to the Glorified division.
  • Tap the loaf on the bottom, if the bread is baked properly it should have a hollow sound.
  • Soda bread is usually made in the traditional round loaf with a cross cut deep into the top and over the sides. This cut widens during baking giving the cake its customary appearance.
  • When made correctly soda bread has a hard crust outside with a soft and floury interior.  
  • Soda bread is naturally more dense than yeast risen breads. The loaf itself should not have a high dome (which might indicate an unauthorized ingredient such as baking powder). The interior of a good loaf should be dense, tender and floury not light, airy and chewy.  
  • A chewy or tough texture inside is a sign that the dough was overworked.
  • If you find big holes, lumps or dark streaks inside, the leavening was not combined with the dry ingredients properly.
  • A soapy, salty or bitter taste or a soapy odor is caused by too much baking soda being left in the dough. This can be caused by using too much baking soda or by not having enough acid (sour milk) to react with the soda.
  • Dry texture can be caused by too much baking soda, too little liquid or not being baked at a high enough temperature.

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