If you’re ever pushed for time and you want a comparatively quick loaf, this Irish wheaten bread is ideal.
It’s the antithesis of sourdough … no starters lurking in the fridge waiting to be fed, no slow fermentation methods, no stretching or kneading. All you need are a few basic ingredients, a bowl, a spoon, a tin and an oven. It’s bread making at its simplest.
Irish friends will probably be rolling their eyes and say they learned how to make it at their grandma’s knee, but for anyone who hasn’t tried it, it’s a winner.
If you want to get fancy you can add two or three tablespoons of seeds, chopped nuts or dried fruit to the mix (great with cheese) and/or sprinkle the top with rolled oats, but it’s good just as it is. I like Irish wheaten bread with a few slices of smoked salmon; with a big bowl of soup; or just toasted for breakfast with butter and apricot jam.
No buttermilk? No problem!
If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute one tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar per 250ml of semi-skimmed or whole milk and let it stand for five minutes.
Unlike most soda breads this one, from a Paul Rankin recipe, is baked in a tin as the mix is runnier than usual. Once you add the buttermilk, get it in the oven as soon as possible as the bicarb, the raising agent, will start reacting with the liquid straight away.
Wheaten Bread
Ingredients:
350g wholemeal flour
150g plain white flour
15g bran
1 1/2 tspn bicarbonate of soda
1 1/4 tspn salt
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
600ml buttermilk (see intro)
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Stir all the dry ingredients together, then stir in the buttermilk to form a dropping consistency.
Pour into a very well-greased 2lb/1kg loaf tin and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Turn out of the tin and cool on a wire rack for a crusty exterior or wrap in a tea towel for a softer loaf. Allow to cool before slicing, if you can hold off that long.
It’s ages since I’ve made soda bread. Best get cracking – this one sounds particularly good.
Thanks, Margaret. It is (thank you Mr Rankin) a very good recipe. Lovely flavour and texture. Lx
We brought back a huge amount of lovely ham from Spain – can’t wait to try this with it and some tiny sweet tomatoes fresh from the greenhouse *wipes salivating mouth*
Oh, now I’m jealous! I love Serrano and all its variants, it’ll be a match made in heaven. Lx
thanks for sharing. I love soda bread (give an honest soda bread to many of the heavy sourdough breads for sale in many pathetic bakeries here in London – any day)
I generally follow Elizabeth David’s ratio of half a teaspoon of bic soda to 225 g wholemeal flour (but her liquid ration has always seemed wrong – too little) and I use a mix of semi skimmed milk and low fat yogurt (I do not like the buttermilk I can buy here in England). I also add some melted butter and some oats. I got a better raise by loosely covering the loaf with some buttered foil or by covering the tin with a bigger tin (again, tip from Mrs David).
with raw milk gone sour it is even better: tips learned from Myrtle Allen many years ago (raw milk gone sour does actually taste “sweet” /souring normal milk will not do – I tried).
I will try this version. thanks again
ciao, stefano
Hi Stefano, I’ve tried various soda bread recipes over the years including the excellent Myrtle Allen’s, but I really like this one. I didn’t have a problem with the rise here. I have used both supermarket cultured buttermilk in this as well as the real thing from raw milk cheesemakers Fen Farm Dairy and they both work … haven’t tried letting the milk sour, but it’s a good tip, thanks. Lx
I have made it tonite,as per recipe: excellent soda bread – thanks
ste
ps: to be honest: minor change: I buttered my loaf tin and I sprinkled it with oats, which went also on the top, othewise as per recipe
Minor changes are good! It’s all about making the recipe your own. So pleased you like it. Lx
We spent a couple of weeks in Ireland, staying in B&Bs as we travelled around. I absolutely adored the soda breads we were served at breakfast time and made it a mission to find a great recipe to replicate the flavour. (Oddly the B&B hosts were reluctant to share) This is much simpler than my fave, i’ll give it a go
Thanks, Sandra. There are lots of variations on the theme but this one works for me. Lx
Lovely! You’ve definitely been inspired by your trip to Cork xx
Some fabulous produce, Lynn, such a pleasure to work with. Lx
That always makes a difference. Not that there’s a dearth of good produce in Suffolk x
No, we’re really lucky here. Lx
…it is only ten days or more from my first comment and I have already made this bread few times! – do u fellow readers try it: one of the best soda bread recipes I have ever tasted
Thanks so much, Stefano, delighted that you approve. Lx
I’m a little confused by the recipe.
Does “1 ½” tsp mean 1 times a 1/2 tsp, ie add 1/2 a tsp, or does it mean add one and a half tsp?
It’s the space between the 1 and the ½ that’s confusing me….
Hi Colin, it means one and a half.
Thank you….
You’re welcome!
Is it possible to leave out the bran or will it make a difference? 15g is such a small amount and I don’t have as it tends to disagree with me. Could I just up the flour by 15g without spoiling the loaf?
Hi Barbara, yes you can, no problem.
Thanks for the speedy – and very helpful – reply Linda. I’m new to your blog and am having a wonderful afternoon reading my way through all of it. Loads of things for me to make but I’ll definitely make the wheaten bread soon. I made the banana bread muffins earlier but stupidly forgot to reduce the temperature. Very brown but I’m sure they’ll be delicious.
You’re welcome, Barbara, thank you for the follow. I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes. If it makes you feel any better about the muffins, I burned my mince pies before Christmas because I was on the ‘phone. The hens enjoyed the bits I could salvage though! Lx
My bread was well risen and crusty on top after half an hour.The oven was 200 c..what did I do wrong. Patricia.
Hi Patricia, it’s difficult to say without being in your kitchen. Was it cooked right through in that time or just crusty on top? Did you use a larger tin? Have you checked your oven temperature with a thermometer? I have cooked this multiple times and although ovens vary enormously I’ve never had it cook in such a short time. Regards, Linda
Dropping consistency? So that is the secret – a bit like but not quite like Mary Berry’s wet scone mix. This bread is basically a savory cake – never thought of it like that. Haven’t had much luck with the rise on wheaten bread before but this is superb. Thank you.
I’m so glad you like it, it’s a big favourite here, thanks.