Easy white soda bread

Name: Easy soda bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 525 g (4 ¼ cups) plain / all - pupose flour; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp salt; 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) buttermilk*

Soda bread is a fantastic bread if you want something quick and easy. With no kneading or proving it can be ready in under and hour.

Easy soda bread is a great bread when you are short on time or don’t have yeast or bread flour.

It’s made with plain or all-pupose flour and uses bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast to make it rise. That means it can be ready really quickly as you don’t need to knead the dough or wait for it to prove.

It’s perfect for a quick lunch or side at dinner.

We originally found a recipe for soda bread in Paul Hollywood’s ‘How to Bake’ book but made a few tweaks to make it work for us.

How can kids help make this easy soda bread?

Soda bread really is an easy bake to do with kids. It’s simply a case of measuring out the few ingredients, then mixing everything together. That’s something even young children and toddlers can help with.

There’s no fancy equipment needed either – a mixing bowl and some wooden spoons are all you need.

There’s no yeast in soda bread so there’s no need to knead the dough or wait for it to prove which is great if your little ones lack the kind of patience you need for baking other types of bread (like our easy white bread for kids).

What’s the difference between soda bread and normal bread?

Soda bread gets it’s name from the bicarbonate of soda or baking soda that it uses as a leavening agent. ‘Normal bread’ uses yeast to rise which takes a bit longer as it needs to rest and prove. Soda bread is a much quicker and easier bread to make as there’s no proving time.

Can I make soda bread without buttermilk?

Yes! We never have or bother to buy buttermilk. Instead you simply need to add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for every cup regualar milk you use. In this case it’s just over 1 ½ tablespoons.

If you do that before you start, the acid in the lemon juice or vinegar makes the milk curdle slightly and will work just as well as buttermilk.

How long does soad bread keep?

I like soda bread best when it’s still a little warm from the oven, but it will keep for a few days in an air tight container. You might find after a day or so it’s nicer eaten toasted. If you want to keep it for longer, you can freeze soda bread for up to three months.

What do you serve soda bread with?

Soda bread is delicious served warm from the oven with a little bit of butter. Or, perhaps serve it as a side to a winter stew or sausage casserole or some lovely homemade soup, (check out our recipes for creamy roasted tomato soup or carrot soup.)

What other easy bread recipes for kids can i make?

If your kids enjoyed making this soda bread they might also some of our other easy bread recipes for kids including:

Finger rolls
Easy white bread recipe
Homemade bagels
Hedgehog rolls
English muffins
Breadsticks
Brown bread
Homemade pita bread
Tiger bread

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes baking
Serves: 10 -12 slices

Ingredients

525g (4 ¼ cups) plain / all – pupose flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
400ml (1 2/3 cups) buttermilk*

*See note above on how to make buttermilk from milk and lemon juice/vinegar if you don’t have any buttermilk.

How to make the easy soda bread

Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F and line a baking tray with baking/greaseproof paper.

Mix the dry ingredients together

Get your kids to measure out the flour into a bowl or cups and add it to a large mixing bowl.

Add a tsp of bicarbonate of soda and a tsp of salt. If your kids want to help with this, get them to level the spoon with their finger before adding it to your bowl.

Mix it together.

Add the buttermilk

Make a well in the middle of the flour and get your kids to pour the buttermilk in. Stir it so it is well mixed and forms a sticky dough.

We found the dough wetter and sticker than we’re used to compared to other breads we’ve made, so don’t be put off by this. You don’t need to knead this dough, so it doesn’t matter if it’s a bit wetter.

Form the soda bread

Get your kids to lightly flour your work surface, then tip your dough on to it.

Shape it into a round loaf with your hands then pop it on to your prepared baking tray.

Using a sharp knife ( this is a job for grown ups) score through your bread to divide it into quarters. Don’t score through to the bottom.

Bake the soda bread

Bake the soda bread in the oven for 30-40 minutes. It’s ready when it has turned a nice golden brown colour on top. It should also sound hollow when you tap the bottom.

Remove the bread from the oven and leave it to cool on a wire rack.

Serve and enjoy! Soda bread is at its best on the day you bake it. Like all bread I love it when it’s still a little warm from the oven.

Easy soda bread

cookingwithmykids

Soda bread is a fantastic bread if you want something quick and easy. With no kneading or proving it can be ready in under and hour.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Course lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, British

Servings 6

Calories 343 kcal

Ingredients

525 g (4 ¼ cups) plain / all - pupose flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
400 ml (1 2/3 cups) buttermilk*