Quick Bread aka Irish Soda Bread
“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”
James Beard
Have you ever wondered where quick bread, or what is called today, Irish soda bread, originated from? Some historians say it is from North America and ventured back to Ireland and England. Some say it started in Ireland during the Irish famine. But what if I told you that it could have started in ancient roman times? Cato’s recipe is the beginning of what is cooked today. It is through time, and the recipe traveling through time, that other ingredients have been added.
“Recipe for kneaded bread: wash both your hands and a bowl thoroughly.
Pour flour into the bowl, add water gradually, and knead well.
When it is well kneaded, roll it out and bake it under an earthenware lid.
-Cato, On Agriculture, 74”
Tilly: Doesn’t sound in the least appealing or appetizing.
So how did it move from ancient Rome to today? Blame the roman soldier. It seems that those highly trained soldiers met their match when they fought the Vikings.
Not only did the Vikings win, they stole the recipe. Just cooked a bit different.
“Viking bread recipe
The Vikings flatten their bread
Add the flour to a bowl and mix with water to make the dough.
Flatten the dough into a flat circle (Like a pancake).
Cook the flat bread on a fire using a pan or pot. “
Now that we have introduced those damn Romans and Vikings swapping recipes again, let’s play Dr. Who and travel to the 1800’s to find the more modern version that is made today.
Tilly: Hold on to your seat because you will never believe what historians have found. That the modern day soda bread came to Ireland and England and the rest of Europe from America.
Yes, I know today soda bread is recognized as Irish, but it is actually American, Native American. Native Americans were the first to be documented using “potash” NO not that “potash”. This potash is pearl ash. Pearl ash is from wood ashes, it made the bread rise without yeast.
So when did the history begin for Irish soda bread? Irish soda bread began in the 1830’s when baking soda aka bicarbonate soda was introduced to the country. Of course that was another American invention.
In 1817, “The Gentleman’s Magazine” published an editorial that described using carbonate of soda with flour, salt and potato pulp, plus diluted hydrochloric acid to make bread. Tilly, according to many British historians this is the early prototype of soda bread. Tilly: Not sure I’m turned on by the hydrochloric acid …
Onwards to the early 19th century, to Ireland, when baking soda was available in the 1830’s. In 1835 a premixed powder became available it was soda and acid combined. Many in Ireland stuck to using plain bread soda with acidic buttermilk for their bread.
Tilly: The first known recipe for Irish soda bread was published in 1836. It was in a magazine called “Farmer’s Magazine” Describing the bread as a simple bread made from wheaten meal, salt, bread soda and very sour buttermilk. Do you remember making that back then, Olive?
Tilly: How very sensible of them.
Many Irish families at that time lived in isolated farm areas with not access to ovens, so soda bread solved the problem. The shape of the bread is also traditional. Northern regions of Ireland divide the dough into four triangular shapes, cooked on a flat griddle.
The Southern regions of Ireland bake their loaves in a round and cut a cross on top of the bread. Being superstitious, many families believed a cross on tip of the bread would let the fairies out or ward off evil and protect the family.
Today, making and cooking the bread is still very popular in Ireland. The way to eat the bread is to break off a piece, spilt it and use lots of butter.
Tilly: Yes, LOTS of butter.
Soda bread is still very popular in Ireland. Families add their own likes such as raisin’s, caraway seeds, and honey.
Tilly: Recipes abound these days – adding cranberries at Christmas, herbs because you can, bacon or leftover ham, cheese … all delicious. It’s also very good fried with sausages, black pudding and eggs.
My great aunts made the bestest soda bread ever, in a frying pan on top of the range. They used sour milk – money for buttermilk was too much of a stretch. I cannot describe how wonderful it was. There was always a large slice of hot soda bread for me when I returned with the ‘messages’ for them.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
Traditional Irish soda bread made with just a few simple ingredients.
Servings: 1 loaf
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Tilly: Nah – just grease a baking tray and place the round of dough on it!
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently a few times. Form the dough into a ball and then press into the prepared pan so that the dough resembles a large disk. The dough should reach the edges of the pan, but may spring back slightly.
Cut an X into the dough with a sharp knife, about 1/4 of an inch deep. Cover the pan of dough with another round cake pan turned upside down. Bake for 25-30 minutes, covered, then remove the top pan and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes more or until the crust is dark golden brown.
Options: When mixing the dough add ¾ cup raisins
“I like Guinness, and that will make anyone Irish.
That and soda bread, and I’m good to go.”
Enjoy the recipe
Olive and Tilly