soda bread

Poor Rachael came to see me after school today, ailing with a migraine and asking for aspirin and lunch. I didn't have anything handy for lunch, so made her some nice soda bread. This recipe makes a tiny loaf, suitable for two--soda bread doesn't keep as well as regular bread, so this is a useful feature for a small household.



By the time the bread was ready to eat Rachael was revived by a nap and had a hearty appetite. Partway through the loaf she sang 'I'm in the mood for bread, simply because it's yummy,' and when it was finished she said 'You should have made a three-person loaf, Mommy, and I could have been the third person!'

I used King Arthur Flour Irish-Style Wholemeal Flour, but if you don't have that I've suggested an alternative.

Brown Soda Bread

250g KA Wholemeal flour
or 150g whole wheat pastry flour,
50g whole wheat bread flour, and 50g all-purpose flour
1/2t baking soda
1/4t cream of tartar
1/4t salt
1t sugar
1T margarine
175ml soy yogurt or soy milk soured with 1t lemon juice

Sift the soda into the flour, then whisk in the remaining dry ingredients. Rub the margarine in with your fingers, then stir in the yogurt till there aren't any dry bits. Knead 3 or 4 times, then shape into a disk about 5 inches across and an inch thick. Cut a cross on the top and bake at 425°F for about 35 minutes. It will be very crumbly unless you let it cool thoroughly before cutting into it, but that's up to you!