Irish Soda Bread

May 3, 2023

4 min read

by Lady Scholastica Joycors — The Culinary Bard

Irish Soda Bread is the most famous of all Irish breads and became popular at the beginning of the 16th century. Soda bread was the high point of Irish bread making and was regarded as one of the finest bread types in the world.

Traditionally soda bread was not “baked” in an oven but rather in a pot, known as a bastable, which was placed over the fire in the hearth .The pot oven was a great baking utensil . It was a deep flat bottomed pan with a closely fitting lid on which glowing embers were piled to ensure even heating gave perfect results for baking similar in nature to our Dutch oven pots. In poorer homes with no bastable pots they just wrapped the bread in cabbage leaves and covered it in embers (Traditional Irish Breads).

Traditional skills of bread making were passed on from mother to daughter and were a great source of pride. It was a compliment of the highest order if a woman was described as having a light hand for baking. There are many varieties of this soda bread, the basic bread, Raisin Soda bread, Barm Brack, and Aran Spiosrai which is described as a spicy soda fruit bread with butter and honey, that resembles a cake.

Fun fact, while we often think of making an cross or 'X' in the center of our bread in medieval time they made the 'X' to ward off devils and protect the house. What it really did was help the center of the bread to bake all the way through, so it is an important step and not one to be skipped.

Aran Spiosrai is a variation of traditional Irish soda bread. As to the leavening, baking soda did not actually appear until the late 16th century, however other forms of leavening were available. E.J. Brill’s First Encyclopedia of Islam 1913-1936, list several types of “borax.” Borax is being used as a generic name for a number of naturally occurring compounds rather than as a specific mineral, sodium borate. According to the translator there are two kinds of borax: Natron and baker’s borax (aka Armenian borax)[Redhouse]. The latter is used in food both to make a glossy surface on bread and as a leavening agent. According to Wikipedia, Natron doesn’t have any boron in it. It is a mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate (soda ash) and about 17% sodium bicarbonate-aka baking soda. Which suggest that perhaps bakers’ borax is baking soda, or some natural mineral that consists largely of baking soda.

In the Annals of the Calliphs' Kitchen, Nasrallah writes: “Medieval bakers also used /buraq/ ‘borax’ as a leavening agent. Adding generous amounts of yeast and borax is recommended in making bread because fully fermented bread is believed to be easier to digest.

I wonder if they might have mixed cream of tartar, which is a byproduct of wine-making, with the buraq/borax to produce a better leavening agent, after all today’s cream of tartar is often combined with baking soda to produce baking powder which decreases the bitter after taste of baking soda.

Irish Soda Bread was/is a staple in Irish households and today's baking soda was the leavening agent of choice along with a splash of buttermilk to create a tasty bread. Give one or both recipes a try.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well; set aside. You can also use an 8" cake pan or oven proof skillet.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the buttermilk just until combined and it starts to become too stiff to stir. Transfer to work surface and with floured hands lightly knead the dough 5-10 times or until all the flour is moistened and the dough comes together.

Form dough into an 8" round pan or cast iron skillet. Place on prepared pan and with a very sharp knife cut a 1/4" deep X on the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Tips

This bread is best served shortly after baking but can be stored at room temperature tightly wrapped for 2-3 days. Can also be frozen for 2-3 months.

Buttermilk is vital to the flavor and texture in this recipe and cannot be replaced with plain milk. However, you can make your own buttermilk by pouring 2 tablespoons white vinegar or fresh (not bottled) lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup or you can use plain yogurt.

Aran Spiosrai (Irish Spice Bread)

Ingredients

1- 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup raisins (plain or golden)

2 tablespoons candied citron, chopped* (optional)

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup honey or golden syrup

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly grease a loaf pan or 10" springform pan.

Sift the flour with the soda and baking powder, and spices.

Add the brown sugar, chopped peel and raisins and mix and make a well in the center.

Melt the butter with the syrup over low heat, then pour into the well in the mixture.

Add the beaten egg and milk and mix very well.

Pour into a greased loaf or springform pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until it tests done.

*In period candied citron was expensive so it was used only on special occasions.

References:

Annals of the Caliphs’ Kitchens. Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq’s Tenth- Century Baghdadi Cookbook. English Translation with Introduction and Glossary by Nawal Nasrallah. page 563

E.J. Brill’s First Encyclopedia of Islam 1913-1936

Redhouse’s “A Turkish and English Lexicon” defines “bakers’ borax” as “soda used by bakers”.

https://www.preparedpantry.com/blog/traditional-irish-breads/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natron

https://www.countrysidecravings.com/irish-soda-bread/