Whole wheat soda bread (known as wheaten bread in Northern Ireland)

Soda bread is a type of quick bread in which yeast has been substituted with baking soda. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other ingredients can be added such as raisins or various forms of nuts. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 368 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Soda bread Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 368 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Soda bread Metadata... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), or sodium hydrogen carbonate, also known as baking soda and bicarbonate of soda, is a soluble white anhydrous or crystalline compound, with a slight alkaline taste resembling that of sodium carbonate. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) Salt covering the floor of Bad Water in Death Valley, CA, the lowest point in the US. A salt, in chemistry, is any ionic compound composed of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is neutral... Percentages are relative to US RDI values for adults. ...

The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Soda bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for two to three days; it is best served warm or toasted. In Ireland, typically the flour is made from soft wheat; so soda bread is best made with a cake or pastry flour (made from soft wheat), which has lower levels of gluten than a bread flour. Lactic acid (IUPAC systematic name: 2-hydroxypropanoic acid), also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemical processes. ... Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout Ireland. The bread is either brown or white, with the former known colloquially as "brown bread" in the Republic of Ireland or wheaten bread in Northern Ireland. The two major types are the loaf and the farl. The loaf form takes a more rounded shape and has a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The farl, a more flattened type of bread, is absolutely unique to Northern Ireland. It is cooked on a griddle allowing it to take a more flat shape. A farl (reduced form of the Scots fardel) is a term used in Northern Ireland and Scotland for some roughly triangular flat breads and cakes, traditionally made by cutting a round into four pieces. ... Motto:  (Latin for Who will separate us?)[1] Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official language(s) English (de facto), Ulster Scots, Irish3, Northern Ireland Sign Language, Irish Sign Language Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of... cast-iron iron enamel stainless steel The cooking pan is a type of food preparation utensil commonly found in the kitchen which includes many more specific cooking vessels such as saucepans and frying pans (or fry pans). ...

Damper is a traditional Australian soda bread most likely brought to Australia by Irish immigrants. Damper is a traditional Australian outback food prepared by swagmen, drovers and other travellers. ...

Griddle Cake

Another form of soda bread popular in Ireland is the griddle cake, it is otherwise known, particularly in Northern Ireland as "Soda Bread" or "Soda Farls". The mixture, using white flour, is exactly the same as for soda bread. The dough is flattened to about 4 cm and placed to cover the bottom of a frying pan or skillet, after some minutes on the heat the cake is then turned to ensure an even baking.

History

Soda bread dates to approximately 1840, when bicarbonate of soda was introduced to Ireland. Bicarbonate of soda replaced yeast as the leavening agent. The climate of Ireland hindered the growth of hard wheat, which created a flour that rose easily with the assistance of yeast. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), or sodium hydrogen carbonate, also known as baking soda and bicarbonate of soda, is a soluble white anhydrous or crystalline compound, with a slight alkaline taste resembling that of sodium carbonate. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Typical divisions Ascomycota Saccharomycotina (true yeasts) Taphrinomycotina Schizosaccharomycetes (fission yeasts) Basidiomycota Basidiomycotina (club fungi) Urediniomycetes Sporidiales Yeasts are unicellular, eukaryotic microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi. ...

There are several theories as to the significance of the cross in soda bread. Some believe that the cross was placed in the bread to ward off evil. It is more likely that the cross is used to help with the cooking of the bread or to serve as a guideline for even slices.

Soda bread eventually became a staple of the Irish diet. It was, and still is, used as an accompaniment to a meal.

The Soda Farl is an important part of the Ulster Fry of Northern Ireland. Ulster fry An Ulster fry is a dish of fried food that is popular throughout the province [citation needed] of Ulster in Ireland. ...

External links

• The Lowdown on Soda Bread
• Society for the Preservation of Soda Bread
• Soda bread history and recipes, with video tutorials

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Soda Bread