White Soda Bread

White Soda Bread
(Recipe courtesy of Seattle Irish Heritage Club)
--used with their permission--

Recipe courtesy Darina Allen of the Ballymaloe Cooking School in Shanagarry, Ireland.

1 pound (450 grams/ 3 1/4 cups) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 ½ level teaspoon salt
1 ½ level teaspoon bread soda (baking soda)
Sour milk or buttermilk to mix - about 12 to 14 fluid ounces (350 to 412 milliliters)

First fully preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Sift the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour all of the milk in at once. Using 1 hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured board.

WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS. Knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up, flip over. Pat the dough into a round about 12 inches (2.5 centimeters) and cut a cross on it to let the fairies out! Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure of this. Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked it will sound hollow.

Soda bread only takes 2 or 3 minutes to make and 20 to 30 minutes to bake. It is certainly another of my 'great convertibles'. We have had the greatest fun experimenting with different variations and uses. It's also great with olives, sun-dried tomatoes or caramelized onions added, so the possibilities are endless for the hitherto humble soda bread.

Ballymaloe Soda Bread
(Recipe courtesy of the Seattle Irish Heritage Club)
--used with their permission--
Taken from The Ballymaloe Bread Book By Tim Allen
Published by Gill & McMillan 2001

3 ¼ cups unbleached white flour
1 level teaspoon baking soda
1 level teaspoon salt
14 oz buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (it is important that the oven be fully heated)

Sieve the flour, salt, and baking soda into a large, wide mixing bowl (about 10 inches wide).

Make a well in the center. Pour most of the buttermilk into the flour. Using one hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle drawing in the four from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish , not too wet and sticky.

The trick with all soda breads is not to over-mix the dough.. Mix the dough as quickly and gently as possible, keeping it really light and airy. When the dough all comes together, turn it out on a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands.

Gently roll the ball of dough around with floury hands for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it up. Then pat it gently into a round about 2 inches high.

Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into it, letting the cuts go over the sides of the bread.

Put this into your preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 400 degrees F. for a further 25 minutes or until cooked. When the bread is cooked it will sound hollow when tapped.

Thomas Francis Meagher Division of AOH
P.O. Box 1916
Helena, Montana 59624