25-02-2005, 09:46 AM
The following was copied out of John McKenna's amazing book: How to Succeed in Hospitality. I bought this for the practical info on hospitality management and the recipes in the book were a very welcome boon.
What follows here is some basic info on how to make the perfect soda bread, more specific recipes will follow.
Irish Soda Bread
Soda bread is the Irish bread, the single most important unique selling point of the traditional Irish breakfast. The mixture of bread soda and buttermilk makes for a loaf that is singular and distinct, and delicious. It is also simple to make, and inexpensive.
The secret with soda bread is to leave it well alone: soda bread needs little work and a light hand. It is, truly, a loaf where the ingredients conspire together to do the magic, and your job is simply to shepherd it safely into the oven and then onto the table. Served when still slightly warm, this simple peasant loaf can offer one of the most unforgettably sublime taste experiences.
The Technique
When he demonstrates his bread making technique, Ken Buggy, of BuggyÂ’s Glencairn Inn in West Waterford, first gives a list of necessities: “teaspoon, knife, flour, wooden spoon, bread soda, mixing bowl, buttermilk, oven on high, floured baking trayÂâ€.
Gather together the above. Put one overfilled kitchen cup of white flour into the bowl, and add two heaped cups of brown flour. Sieve in one rounded teaspoon of bread soda (the soda is the only thing you sieve). Add three-quarters pint buttermilk.
Whizz round with the wooden spoon as if constructing a roux. Lightly bring together the dough, finally using a little more white flour to seal it. Shape into a ball and place on a baking tray.
Cut deeply – nearly all the way through as it will heal together – in the shape of a cross. Bake for 40 minutes and then rap on the bottom to ensure it is cooked: it should sound hollow.
Are there secrets to getting it right? Well, lightness of touch is perhaps the key – you don’t knead the dough, and you should work quickly: soda bread should be made and in the oven in a trice. Serve it warm from the oven to enjoy it at its best.
What follows here is some basic info on how to make the perfect soda bread, more specific recipes will follow.
Irish Soda Bread
Soda bread is the Irish bread, the single most important unique selling point of the traditional Irish breakfast. The mixture of bread soda and buttermilk makes for a loaf that is singular and distinct, and delicious. It is also simple to make, and inexpensive.
The secret with soda bread is to leave it well alone: soda bread needs little work and a light hand. It is, truly, a loaf where the ingredients conspire together to do the magic, and your job is simply to shepherd it safely into the oven and then onto the table. Served when still slightly warm, this simple peasant loaf can offer one of the most unforgettably sublime taste experiences.
The Technique
When he demonstrates his bread making technique, Ken Buggy, of BuggyÂ’s Glencairn Inn in West Waterford, first gives a list of necessities: “teaspoon, knife, flour, wooden spoon, bread soda, mixing bowl, buttermilk, oven on high, floured baking trayÂâ€.
Gather together the above. Put one overfilled kitchen cup of white flour into the bowl, and add two heaped cups of brown flour. Sieve in one rounded teaspoon of bread soda (the soda is the only thing you sieve). Add three-quarters pint buttermilk.
Whizz round with the wooden spoon as if constructing a roux. Lightly bring together the dough, finally using a little more white flour to seal it. Shape into a ball and place on a baking tray.
Cut deeply – nearly all the way through as it will heal together – in the shape of a cross. Bake for 40 minutes and then rap on the bottom to ensure it is cooked: it should sound hollow.
Are there secrets to getting it right? Well, lightness of touch is perhaps the key – you don’t knead the dough, and you should work quickly: soda bread should be made and in the oven in a trice. Serve it warm from the oven to enjoy it at its best.