Oaty Brown Sugar Soda Bread Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between brown bread and soda bread? ›

If you really want to get technical, brown bread is a form of soda bread since it uses baking soda as the leavening agent. However, the two loaves differ pretty significantly from there. Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour.

Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).

If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly. You should therefore leave plenty of time for your dough to rise.

Dough too dry or too wet: the texture of the dough is important for the success of your bread. If the dough is too dry, the bread may turn out crumbly and dense. If the dough is too wet, the bread may not rise properly and may have a gummy texture. You should be able to form a round loaf and make the top cut.

Soda bread is quick to prepare and is a low-fat, yeast-free option. It may help alleviate symptoms of bloating and discomfort.

Both types of bread use flour and contain refined carbohydrates. Sourdough bread would be considered healthier in the fact that it is a fermented food with lower gluten levels, making it easier to digest.

Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-work the dough the bread will end up tough.

Soda bread gets its name from baking soda, which, added in the right amount, creates levity without the use and wait of yeast. (Some recipes call for yeast and kneading, but know this isn't required.) You don't have to wait hours or overnight for a rise, either.

Potato Flakes or Potato Water

Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers about 200ºF when inserted into the center of the loaf, or it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 45 minutes.

What consistency should soda bread dough be? ›

The oldest recipe for soda bread, widely syndicated from Ireland's Newry Times in 1836, says the dough was "as soft as could possibly be handled...the softer the better." Thirteen years and 180 miles down the road, the Waterford Times described it as "wetter than pie crust, too stiff to pour, but not stiff enough to ...

Why does my Soda Bread not cook in the middle? The reason why your soda bread isn't cooking properly is very often that your oven isn't calibrated correctly. Check your oven or adjust your temperature with the next try until you get it right. Baking is as much an art as it is a science.

The unique texture of soda bread is a result of the reaction between the acidic sour milk and baking soda, which formed small bubbles of carbon dioxide in the dough.

Sourdough relies on a mix of wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria, rather than baker's yeast, to leaven the dough. It's richer in nutrients, less likely to spike your blood sugar, contains lower amounts of gluten, and is generally easier to digest than bread made with baker's yeast.

The best Irish soda bread, like this recipe, has a golden brown crust with a dense, tight crumb. The bread isn't heavy, it's actually quite tender and soft inside. The crust is nice and crisp when it comes out of the oven and becomes a little chewy on day 2 and 3.

Brown bread is made using all parts of the wheat grain, which means that this bread contains nutrients from every part of the wheat grain. The bran also gives whole wheat bread a more prominent texture and nutty flavour. Using every part of the grain is what gives brown bread its signature hue.