Irish Soda Bread

A soda bread is a quick bread in which baking soda is substituted for yeast.The ingredients include flour,baking soda,buttermilk and salt.The bread is popular in Ireland and has been so when baking soda was introduced there in the 19th century.Now it has become a traditional Irish dish and is known as "cake -bread" in Ireland.There are two form of Soda bread-loaf form -where the dough is rounded and has a cross cut that allows the bread to expand.I have recreated this bread with a wonderful recipe from joyof baking and here it is.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 1.5 cup
Whole Wheat Flour:1.5 cup
Salt: 1tsp
Baking Soda: 1 tsp
Buttermilk: 1.5 cups+

Preparation:

Combine both flours and salt and soda in a big bowl and blend well.Add buttermilk little at a time and mix well to form a soft moist (sticky as well)dough.Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead to form a 1 inch thick round shape.For ease of handling,I divided the dough into two.Take each half and transfer to a greased baking sheet.Using a sharp knife,cut a 1/4 inch deep cross or "X" on top.Bake each round for 50 minutes in a preheated oven at 375F .The bread should sound hollow when tapped at the bottom.

The dough ......

Fresh from Oven:

The bread when warm is very good for breakfast with jam/jelly and also with soups instead of croutons.It has a very mild baking soda smell and a hard crust and chewy and denser texture.

Now this is my entry on Day #1 Recipe Marathon.Let see what other athletes are starting their marathon with and I will update this.Come on Gals,30 days more to go......... :D Check out the fellow runners :

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Medha 7)Priya 8)Bhawna 9)Raaji 10)Ruchii 11)Anu 12)Kamala 13)Roopa 14)Divya Kudua 15)Rekha 16)Divya M 17)Lakshmi