Odlums Brown Soda Bread Mix is a big favourite with our customers, both online and in our Berlin Store. Now we’re happy to add this white version to our range. For lovers of an Ulster Fry, his one’s even more important! Now it’s quick and easy to make your own soda farls, fresh and delicious straight from the griddle.
Odlums is a renowned brand in Ireland, after over 160 years in business, manufacturing flour products of the highest quality near Dublin.
What is Irish soda bread?
Well, that depends on who you ask! In most of Ireland, “soda bread” usually means a loaf. Whether it’s brown or white, it’s crusty on the outside, but has a dense, spongey interior, almost like a savoury cake. As the name implies, soda bread uses baking soda as a raising agent, instead of yeast. This unusual method became commonplace in Ireland because the wheat grown there was lower in gluten, and didn’t work so well with yeast. Nowadays, of course, there’s no shortage of flour higher in gluten, and “regular” bread is enjoyed everywhere. But this didn’t mean soda bread had to go away – it’s still around, because it’s straightforward to make, and absolutely delicious!
In Ulster, the term “soda bread” usually means one thing: soda farls. This name comes from the old word fardel, meaning “quarter”, as a soda is traditionally a circular, flattish piece of bread, cut into four. It’s usually made with white flour, not brown, and while it has many uses, you’re most likely to encounter it as a component of that belly-busting classic, the Ulster fry.
(By the way, the brown, cakey stuff is known as “wheaten bread” in Ulster)
How do I make Irish soda bread?
With Odlum’s Irish Brown Soda Bread Mix, it couldn’t be easier. Just mix 500g with (ideally) buttermilk. Regular milk works well too. We haven’t tried soya, oat or almond milk, so if you do, let us know how it goes!
Knead the mixture for a minute or two, bake in the oven for around 40 minutes. The package comes with complete step-by-step instructions, so even if you ‘ve never made Irish soda bread before, you should manage just fine.
