Mangu

soda-bread

Next Dish: Chakchouka

Soda Bread is a variety of quick bread traditionally made in a variety of cuisines in which sodium bicarbonate (otherwise known as "baking soda") is used as a leavening agent instead of the traditional yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. This bread is popular in Ireland and has a distinctive dense and slightly tangy taste.

baking soda

baking powder

butter

salt

flour

white sugar

margarine

buttermilk

egg

Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 4 tablespoons white sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup margarine, softened

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 egg

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

  • 1/4 cup buttermilk


Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine.

  3. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg.

  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.

  5. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

  6. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.