Soda bread is something I’ve made so often over the years that I could probably do it with my eyes closed. It takes about fifteen minutes to prepare and around an hour to bake. I like to make this for breakfast when guests are staying over. While it’s baking I lay the table. The smell of the caraway infused bread fresh from the oven generally lures late risers to the table! Here I’ve added apples and raisins which gives moisture as well as sweetness. In Ireland apple is traditionally added to soda bread come harvest time. Enjoy this one with cheese or jam. Like all soda breads it is best eaten the same day but it will make great toast for a day or two afterwards.
Ingredients
- 1-½ lbs of organic mixed flours e.g. 8ozs of wholemeal, 1 lb of unbleached strong white flour. (You can increase the wholemeal flour to say 12 ozs, but the finished bread will be heavier).
- 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp of caraway seeds
- 60g raisins
- 3 medium apples peeled and diced – about pea-size (see photo). I use Cox or Bramley for strong flavour
- ¾ – 1 pint of buttermilk, or plain yoghurt & milk (50-50)
- A little plain yoghurt for brushing the loaf
- 1tbs rolled oats, or bran, or pinhead oatmeal, or just plain flour
- 1tbs coarse maize meal, or semolina to sprinkle on greased tray – adds crunchiness
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220º C for 15 minutes.
Method
Mix flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, salt and caraway seeds together thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Then mix in raisins and diced apple.
Add buttermilk or plain yoghurt & milk, and mix.
You are aiming for an easy to knead dough that is soft, plastic-like in consistency. Only knead until it comes together smoothly – about 1 minute.
The soda responds to the acid in the buttermilk or yoghurt, and starts releasing its gas, which you need for raising the bread, so work fairly quickly. Shape into a round and flatten slightly to about 1½” – 2″ high.
Brush the top with plain yoghurt, and sprinkle on your choice of topping from selection above. Cut a cross ½” deep into the dough. Place on a greased metal try (which you can sprinkle with either semolina, or maize meal, or plain flour: the first two add flavour and some crunchiness). Or simply line with non-stick parchment.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes at 220ºC, and reduce to 190ºC for 40-50 mins depending on your oven. It is baked when it sounds ‘hollow’ when tapped underneath, and nicely browned all over.
I make a load of different soda breads (my Dublin grandmother made a loaf ever day of her life, I think), but have never thought about a sweet one! I’ll have to give it a try. I do often add seeds, though, either caraway or more often fennel.
Very much enjoying GBBO this year