Breadmaking 101

Lesson 7: Soda Bread

Making the Bread

Whatever kind you choose, the procedure starts much like all the others we've done. Mix all the dry ingredients, sifting if you like, then add the liquid and mix (by hand or machine) until it's just all hanging out together, then dump on a lightly floured surface and knead very gently and quickly until all your ingredients are in one lump with lumps, as it were.

Now that we're into the realm of kneading, you really have to be careful about developing gluten. “The Best Quick Breads” recommends kneading just five times, and this should take less than a minute. Just fold the dough over on itself and press down gently, then turn the dough, fold it over and press again a couple times until it all comes together.

There are two traditional ways to shape soda bread, but the easiest is the cake, which is just a round loaf. When you've finished kneading, push the outside of the dough with your hands and slowly turn it on the board to make it into a roundish loaf. It doesn't have to be perfect by any means. This is real rustic baking. A cake is then slashed across the top with a knife, usually in the shape of a cross, baked in the oven on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray until golden brown and it makes a hollow sound when you thump on it.

The other way to do it is called a farl, which is cooked in a cast iron pan or griddle, formed into a circle and cut into triangles. I’ve never made it this way, but I’ve read that you get the pan really hot and cook the bread for about 20 minutes on a side until golden brown. I don’t see why you’d do it this way, since the cake version is so much simpler and produces a really beautiful loaf.

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