Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 450 g all-purpose flour
- 5 g baking soda
- 5 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 380 ml buttermilk, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 179 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 388 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 2 mg
- Potassium
- 106 mg
- Calcium
- 51 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 14 mg
- Phosphorus
- 82 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 14 mcg
- Water
- 40 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or dust it lightly with flour.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt until well aerated and completely uniform.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in most of the buttermilk, holding back about 30ml. Using a wooden spoon or your hand shaped like a claw, gently and rapidly mix the dough in full circles from the center outwards.
Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. If there are dry flour spots, incorporate the remaining buttermilk. With floured hands, gently bring the dough together into a round loaf about 4 to 5 centimeters thick. Do not knead or compress the dough.
Transfer the shaped loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, deeply score a large cross across the entire top of the dough, cutting about halfway through the loaf.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C/400°F for 40 to 45 minutes. The bread is done when the crust is deeply golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the interior crumb to fully set.
Chef's Notes
- Handle the dough as lightly and as little as possible. Soda bread is categorized as a quick bread, meaning any gluten development will result in a tough, chewy loaf rather than a tender, crumbly one.
- The acidity of buttermilk is absolutely essential for the leavening process. It neutralizes the alkaline baking soda, producing carbon dioxide gas that lifts the bread. Do not attempt to use plain milk or water without adding an acid substitute.
- Baking at a high temperature initially is crucial. It maximizes the oven spring by setting the crust rapidly before the chemical leavening runs out of power.
- If your oven runs hot or the top is browning too rapidly before the center is baked, tent the loaf loosely with aluminum foil for the final 10 to 15 minutes of baking.
Storage
Freezer: 3 months — Slice the loaf completely before freezing to allow for easy removal and direct-to-toaster reheating.
Reheating: Toast individual slices until the edges are crisp and warm throughout.
Troubleshooting
Bread is dense, heavy, and has a tight crumb structure
Cause: The dough was overworked or kneaded, developing too much gluten. Alternatively, the baking soda was expired.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked. Slice thinly and toast to improve the texture.
Prevention: Mix the dough only until it just comes together into a shaggy mass, and verify your baking soda is fresh before baking.
Dough is too wet, sticky, and cannot hold a round shape
Cause: Different brands of flour absorb moisture differently, and too much buttermilk was added at once.
Fix: Gently dust the exterior with extra flour and fold it in with light hands until manageable enough to transfer to the pan.
Prevention: Always hold back a small portion of the liquid and add it only if the dough appears too dry to come together.
Bread has a metallic or soapy aftertaste
Cause: Baking soda was not distributed evenly in the flour, or too much baking soda was used.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Serve with strong-flavored jams or sharp cheeses to mask the flavor.
Prevention: Sift or thoroughly whisk the baking soda into the flour before adding wet ingredients. Measure precisely using a leveled spoon.
Cultural Context
Originating in the nineteenth century in Ireland, soda bread was born out of necessity when baking soda was introduced as an inexpensive alternative to yeast, making it ideal for the region's soft-wheat flours. The deep cross cut into the top of the dough is steeped in folklore, traditionally said to let the fairies out to prevent them from jinxing the bake. Practically, the aggressive score allows the thickest, densest part of the dough to expand outward and bake thoroughly without splitting the sides.
