by Cate Ferguson

Created on: September 20, 2010

When first embarking on the adventure of making your first loaf of bread at home, it would be wise to begin with a homemade bread recipe that is probably fool proof.  While looking for such a loaf, I came across Soda Bread.  This is the perfect beginner’s loaf for a number of reasons.

1. It doesn’t take a long to time to make It uses techniques that anyone who has made a cake will be familiar with

2. The basic recipe uses a limited number of ingredients

3. It’s best eaten warm with lashings of butter

4. It’s suited to many variations to take it from basic to gourmet It can be cooked almost anywhere – even while camping and

5. There are variations of it from every continent on the globe!

 So,  what’s so special about Soda Bread and why is it such an easy bread recipe?

Firstly there is Time:  

If you have an hour to spare you can make Soda Bread.   Other breads can take hours, even days to make so this kind of bread is great for spur of the moment desires for fresh homemade bread, hot from the oven.  It’s also great when you find that you’ve no bread to serve with lunch, or a pot of soup or for a great afternoon snack.

Then the Techniques and Ingredients:  

For a very basic loaf of Soda Bread you need only four (4) ingredients: flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk/live yogurt.  You throw all the dry ingredients into a bowl, make a well in the centre and add your liquid.  A LOT like making a cake!  There are a couple of hints and tips you need to remember but basically that is it.  So if you have ever baked a cake, you can make a simple Soda Bread.

Almost Endless Variations: 

Each Soda Bread recipe is slightly different depending on where it comes from.  Famous all over the world is Irish Soda bread but there are many variations such as Scottish Soda Bread, Australian Damper and the first recorded evidence of any kind of Soda Bread is credited to the American Indians when they used soda ash to leaven their bread.

 Of course there are recipes for Soda Bread that include many different ingredients such as  buttermilk, yogurt, eggs, raisins or sultanas and even nuts.  Sweet or plain it seems that Soda Bread has been a long time favourite for many generations of people all over the world.

Finally Versatility in Baking:  While researching Soda Bread, its origins, it variations and it many flavours I discovered that it can be made almost anywhere.  While it is true that it is a good bread recipe for the oven, in Australia it is traditionally cooked over an open fire, it can be made using a camp or Dutch oven, it can be cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven making it a very versatile bread.

 For someone who is considering looking for some good homemade bread recipes or who is looking for easy bread recipes or who needs a quick bread recipe, then Soda Bread could be just the place to start.

A great project would be to begin with the basic recipe and then create your own variations until you create your very own unique loaf. 

Whichever way you choose to go, Soda Bread is certainly worth considering as you hone your bread making skills. 

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