Soda bread
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225061958
2008-07-11T18:25:43Z
Fordmadoxfraud
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225060928 by [[Special:Contributions/71.230.56.138|71.230.56.138]] ([[User talk:71.230.56.138|talk]])
[[Image:Soda bread.jpg|right|thumb|[[Whole grain|Whole wheat]] soda bread (known as ''wheaten bread'' in Northern Ireland)]]
[[Image:Ben W Bell Soda Bread Farl 05 June 2007.jpg|right|thumb|Soda bread in [[farl]] form. This would have been connected to the rest of the bread along the straight upper and right edges.]]
'''Soda bread''' is a type of [[quick bread]] in which [[baking soda]] has been substituted for yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are [[flour]], baking soda, [[salt]], and [[buttermilk]]. Other ingredients can be added such as raisins or various forms of nuts.
The buttermilk in the dough contains [[lactic acid]], which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of [[carbon dioxide]]. Soda bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for two to three days; it is best served warm or toasted. In Ireland, typically the flour is made from soft wheat; so soda bread is best made with a cake or pastry flour (made from soft wheat), which has lower levels of gluten than a bread flour.
Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout [[Ireland]]. The bread is either brown or white, with the former known colloquially as "brown bread" in the Republic of Ireland or ''wheaten bread'' in Northern Ireland. The two major types are the ''loaf'' and the ''"griddle cake"'', or [[farl]] in Northern Ireland. The loaf form takes a more rounded shape and has a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake or farl, is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a [[griddle]] allowing it to take a more flat shape and split into four sections.
[[Damper (food)|Damper]] is a traditional [[Australian]] soda bread most likely brought to Australia by Irish immigrants.
== History ==
[[Image:Soda bread in oven.jpg|right|thumb|Rounds of soda bread in various stages of baking.]]
Soda bread dates back to approximately 1840, when [[bicarbonate of soda]] was introduced to [[Ireland]]. Because the climate of Ireland hinders the growth of hard wheat (which creates a [[flour]] that rises easily with the assistance of [[yeast]]), bicarbonate of soda replaced yeast as the leavening agent.
There are several theories as to the significance of the cross in soda bread. Some believe that the cross was placed in the bread to ward off evil. It is more likely that the cross is used to help with the cooking of the bread or to serve as a guideline for even slices.
Soda bread eventually became a staple of the Irish diet. It was, and still is, used as an accompaniment to a meal.
The Soda Farl is an important part of the [[Full breakfast#Ulster fry|Ulster fry]] of Northern Ireland.
== External links ==
* [http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/all/articles/149P1.asp The Lowdown on Soda Bread]
* [http://www.sodabread.us Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread]
{{Cookbook|Soda Bread}}
[[Category:Quick breads]]
[[Category:Irish cuisine]]
[[Category:Irish breads]]
[[Category:Northern Irish cuisine]]
[[es:Pan de soda]]