My version, in the style of my Mammy and Granny

I don´t think there is a single Irish home that wouldn´t be familiar with traditional soda bread. It was a staple in our house and rarely did it last more than a day. We ate it with lots of butter and home-made jam ! It´s not only delicious, made with wholemeal flour and natural ingredients but it´s has always been a kind of comfort food for me. I think I was about 15 years old when my mam showed me how to make it. Over the years I made a few little tweaks to the recipe which met with total approval from herself. Note: its possible to make this with just white flour. The next recipe is a slightly sweeter white flour version with dried fruit. ´Which, like the wholemeal version, is to die-for if toasted a day or so later. Assuming there´s any left that is!

Ingredients:

Dry

1 Ib (453 g) of wholemeal flour

½ lb ( 227 g) of strong white flour

2  (10 g) rounded teaspoons of bicarbonate soda

2 ( 10 g) rounded teaspoons of cream of tartar (preferable but is possible without as the wet ingredients will add the acidity needed to activate the bicarbonate of soda )

1 ( 5 g) rounded teaspoon of baking powder (for an extra boost assome flours can be a bit heavier than others especially strong flours)

(The cream of soda is from an old recipe but as it’s difficult to get in Spain I also add baking powder which includes more bicarb but seems to do the trick without giving it a ‘bicarb’ taste to the bread)

1/2 - 1 dessert spoon (5-10 g) of brown/white sugar (optional)

1/2 (2 g) teaspoon salt.

Wet

Approximately a pint of sour milk/butter milk/yogurt water mix

The liquid choice depends on what’s available. Traditionally it would have been butter milk and maybe a bit of water but if you mix half yogurt (Greek is best) and milk/water it works just as well. If when mixing it needs a little more just use water. No strict rules or quantities.

1-2 teaspoon (5 - 10ml) of lemon juice or vinegar (this adds to the acidity especially if the milk is not sour). It is the acidity that activates the bicarbonate of soda or in science jargon; makes the bicarb fart and creates the air which in turns is causes the rise in the bread.

1 egg (my mam´s idea)

3  good ‘glugs’ ofolive oil - I guess that’s about 2 desert spoons (my new and improve recipe idea! and I´m sure Granny only had those wee bottles of olive oil from the chemist for ear aches)

Preparation & baking instructions

Turn on oven ! see below notes.

I always do this before I start to weigh out the ingredients, so I don’t suddenly realise I didn’t put the oven on in time to get hot.

Lightly grease and flour a baking tray. I´m currently using a cast iron frying pan which I love as it gives a good distribution of heat and contains the shape well.

Mix all the wet ingredients including the egg so it´s completely blended in.

Oven temperature and baking times: 

As breads were originally baked on an open fire in a cast iron skillet (a kind of Dutch oven), it takes a couple of goes to find your prefer temp depending on your oven. As a guide, if it’s a fan oven I would guess around 220 degrees Celsius or  230 if not  (428 - 446 Fahrenheit) gas 7 . Bake in the middle. Or if splitting the mixture in two note that the lower level will take a little longer than the upper plus the upper may burn quicker. Don’t be tempted to move them during first part of baking as letting heat out of the oven can reduce rising. After about 30-35 mins you can drop temp to about 180C  ( 375 F) Gas 5, if it’s looking too brown but by this time most of the rising will have been done. If it’s quite brown and risen at around 35 mins I take it out and tap its bottom to test. A hollow sound means it’s either done or close to be done. You can also stick a knife in and if it comes out clean it’s probably done. At this point I sometimes put it back in, directly on the oven rack not the baking tray to be sure it cooks well from underneath but lower heat or even turn off the oven. After 5 mins check again. It should be dark golden brown but a little darker won’t hurt if you are not sure. (Tip: if crust is too hard you can wrap in a tea towel before it completely cools). After a few goes at it you will start to ‘feel’ how you bake ‘your’ bread. Cool on cooling rack or as my Granny use to do, propped up against the cottage stone wall or window sill. Total baking time around 45 mins but until you get the hang of it keep an eye on it (easier if you have a glass door) from about 30-40 mins.

The mixing and folding (not kneading!) bit

First sieve your white along with the other dry ingredients and add to the wholemeal flour. Make sure all is thoroughly mixed together. I like to ‘aerate’ by lifting and allowing mix to fall from fingers above bowl.

Create a little well in the centre, if you like or not if you don’t.

In a jug to have it ready to go, mix all wet ingredients with a fork/whisk making sure the egg is completely mixed in. N.B. you may want a little extra liquid (water) later if you think necessary. Different flours can change the consistency sometimes.

I tend to you use a blunt table/butter knife for stirring itall together to start with but a wee stick from the garden would work as well. Granny would have used her open hand and fingers.

So, pour liquid into dry ingredients and stir at the same time, cutting through and sort of folding as you mix in the last of the dry ingredients. Often people talk about being able to clean the bowl with the dough, which is sort of being able to rub all the bits off as you complete the mixing. Personally, I prefer to be just a ‘little stickier’, as you are going to use more flour in the last stage (the NOT kneading bit) and also as you can always leave it in the oven for a few extra minutes to dry it out. This avoids a dry bread (as does the olive oil) and you will notice it more so especially on the 2nd day.

Dust your counter with white flour. If you have self-raising flour (not so easily available in Spain) it might be an idea to use this in case you have to use a lot to get the dough to the right consistency or in themixing bowl itself if you’ve already decided that “you’re after putting too much liquid in, yer big eejit” (as my granny & mammy might have said) .Note, that if you add a lot of extra flour that doesn’t have a raising agent in it, it could affect the ‘rise’.  I used to put a cup of flour in a bowl next to me and chuck in a good pinch of baking powder, in case I needed it but after a few goes you’ll be able to tell better as you mix.

Tip dough onto counter. Ideally it should tip in one piece but in case it’s a bit wet don’t panic you can rectify with your spare flour as aforementioned. If hands are floured it helps also with the folding (NOT kneading) of sticky dough too.

Now I say don’t knead as this isn’t like making yeast bread which you proof, bash the bejaysus out of it then proof again! Be gentle with your bread, pay it compliments, talk to it .. I REALLY DO!  You want to gently use the ‘kneading’ style of folding and flipping but as if it was a cashmere jumper, trapping in the air as you do. Cut into two equally parts if you want two loaves. Tell it how lovely and plump it feels and how it’s going to rise up to a beautiful, delicious loaf. It shouldn’t be sticky at this point but somewhere between squidgy and soft, a bit like a baby’s bum. Tuck it up andunder as if putting it to bed and gently place on your floured tray. Gently press it down/out to about 8 cm thick. Finally, as the old ladies used to do,you have to bless it with the sign of the cross (no kidding). As I lost the  ‘old faith’ many years ago I simple score it with a cross to a depth of only 1-2mm.  This helps crack the surface and aids the rising process.

Assuming you can resist eating it before it cools, serve with slabs of real salted butter (essential in my opinion) and home-made raspberry or plum jam! And if there’s any left in a couple of days, it’s gorgeous toasted. It’s also delicious with smoked salmon! I have a few uncles who like to fry it and sprinkle salt on top…… totally wicked and delicious although probably not good for blood pressure!

This bread freezes well, either whole or pre-sliced.

Cutting tips

When fresh this bread can easily fall apart so always use a serrated bread knife. Either cut out a quarter or cut in half and place it on the flat side down and start cutting down from the outer crust side. For our English friends the first slice will be the ‘Heel’ and not the ‘Crust’. For us, the crust is all the way around the loaf 😉

ENJOY !! 

Remember, it might take a couple of goes to get the hang of this bread as it´s the kind of recipe passed down from generation to generation and with practice becomes second nature. Many of the old ladies I´ve seen making this don´t measure a thing, it´s all done by sight and touch.