Soda bread
From Free net encyclopedia
Soda bread is a type of quick bread in which yeast has been substituted with baking soda. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other ingredients can be added such as raisins.
The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Soda bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for two to three days; it is best served warm or toasted.
Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout Ireland. The bread is either brown or white. The two major types are cake and farl. The cake form is more likely found in the Republic of Ireland. It takes a more rounded shape and has a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. Farl is more typical of Northern Ireland. It is cooked on a griddle allowing it to take a more flat shape.
History
Soda bread dates to approximately 1840, when bicarbonate of soda was introduced to Ireland. Bicarbonate of soda replaced yeast as the leavening agent. The climate of Ireland hindered the growth of hard wheat, which created a flour that rose easily with the assistance of yeast.
There are several theories as to the significance of the cross in soda bread. Some believe that the cross was placed in the bread to ward off evil. It is more likely that the cross is used to help with the cooking of the bread or to serve as a guideline for even slices.
Soda bread eventually became a staple of the Irish diet. It was, and still is, used as an accompaniment to a meal.
The Soda Farl is an important part of the Ulster Fry of Northern Ireland.