Efrat's Notebook

Basic Soda Bread Draft

A soda bread with buttermilk and a little butter, no yeast and no kneading, that I make when I want fresh bread in under an hour.

  • Prep10 min
  • Cook35 min
  • Total45 min
  • Makes1 loaf
  • KashrutDairy

What you need

Amount:1

How I make it

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

  2. Sift the flour onto a clean work surface. Add the salt and baking soda.

  3. Add the butter, cover it with flour and work it in until crumbly. At this point the mixture still looks completely dry.

  4. Make a well in the flour mixture, pour in the buttermilk and mix just until a dough forms. Do not knead.

  5. Shape the dough into a ball.

  6. Line a baking sheet or a cast-iron skillet with parchment paper and set the ball on it.

  7. With a sharp knife, cut a deep X, 1 1/2-2 inches (4-5 cm), into the top of the ball.

  8. Bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the X comes out clean.

What I've learned

  • I don't worry when the dough looks uneven, rough and a little wobbly. That's how it should be, and I don't knead it.

Source: ChefEf (chefef.com)