Irish soda bread: how to tell a good loaf

Soda bread is bread raised with bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast, usually mixed with buttermilk. Because there is no yeast, there is no long rise, and a loaf can go from bowl to oven in minutes. The result is a dense, slightly tangy loaf with a firm crust and a soft crumb that is best eaten the day it is baked.

If you eat out in Ireland, you will meet it on the table, beside a bowl of soup, under smoked fish or on a breakfast plate. This guide explains what to look for.

What it is made of

A basic soda bread is flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and buttermilk. The buttermilk is sour, and it reacts with the soda to make the bread rise. Brown versions use wholemeal flour, often with some white flour, and may include seeds or oats. White versions use plain white flour.

Because the mix is so simple, there is nowhere to hide. The flavour comes from the flour and the buttermilk, and the texture from how lightly it was handled.

Brown or white

Brown soda bread is nutty and a little sweet, with a denser crumb. It goes well with smoked fish, cheese, soup and butter. White soda bread is paler and milder, with a soft crumb that suits jam or a fry.

Neither is better. Choose by what you are eating. If you are unsure, ask which the kitchen makes and which suits your dish.

How to judge a loaf

Look for a loaf with a deep golden crust and a cross cut on the top. When you break it, the crumb should be moist but not gummy. It should not crumble to dust, and it should not be doughy in the middle.

A good loaf smells of baked flour and a little tang. A flat, pale loaf with a raw taste has been underbaked. One that is dry and hard may be a day or two old, which is common, as soda bread stales quickly.

Eat it fresh

Soda bread is at its best on the day it is baked. After that it dries, so toasting suits older slices. If you buy a loaf to take home, eat it within a day or two, or slice and freeze it.

How it is served

You will often get a slice or two with soup, butter on the side. At breakfast it may be a fried slice. In some cafes a thick slice with smoked fish or cheese is a light lunch.

Allergy and diet notes

Soda bread contains wheat, so it is not gluten free, and buttermilk is dairy. Seeds and nuts are sometimes added. If you have an allergy, ask about every ingredient and about shared equipment; do not rely on a guess.

Variations you may meet

Some bakers add raisins or currants, which makes a sweeter loaf often called a fruit soda or a spotted loaf. Others add seeds, oats or treacle. A farl is a flat, triangular piece cooked on a griddle, often served at breakfast. A scone is a close cousin, made with a similar dough and usually sweeter.

If you are trying a place for the first time, ask what they make and how it differs from the usual. The answer tells you whether the baker is cooking from habit or from care.

Serving ideas

Soda bread is good with butter alone. It also suits smoked salmon, cheese, a bowl of soup, a boiled egg or a bit of jam. Toast it for a firm base for avocado or beans. If you have a loaf that has stiffened, a slice in a hot pan with butter brings it back.

Serving it well at home

If you buy a loaf, keep it wrapped in a clean cloth rather than plastic, because plastic makes the crust soft. Slice it thick, and eat the first slices fresh with butter. Use the remainder toasted or as the base for a savoury breakfast. If it has gone hard, a few minutes in a hot oven wrapped in foil can bring a loaf back to life.

What to ask a bakery

A good bakery will tell you when the bread was baked, what flour went into it and whether it contains seeds or other additions. Ask for a slice if you can, and look at the crumb before you commit to a whole loaf. A shop that takes pride in its soda bread usually sells out of it, so go early.

Buying a loaf

Bakeries and cafes often sell loaves. Check the opening hours, because many sell out early. On Mosey, look at recent photographs of a bakery's bread to see the crust and the crumb before you go.