Just Baking

Baking really is chemistry. It’s all about chemical reactions. Sometimes it takes trying a recipe outside what you are comfortable with to remind you of that fact. Take this bread for instance. It’s dense and tasty and it requires just a few ingredients and a little bit of time to make. The leavening is performed by the reaction between buttermilk and baking soda so there’s no yeast and no waiting for the dough to rise. It is the true definition of a quick bread. But I have to admit I was surprised and impressed by how much this bread rose. Many muffin recipes use the same buttermilk-baking soda reaction but I haven’t had any double in height like this bread did (near the end off baking it came dangerously close to the rack above it).

Irish Dairy Bread
from page 122 of the The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

Makes one 9-inch loaf

4 cups (17 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375° F and prepare a baking sheet or cast-iron pot by lightly flouring it.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and whisk together thoroughly. Add the butter and distribute the butter evenly through the flour mixture. Create a hole in the center of the flour and pour the buttermilk into it. Stir to combine the ingredients.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface. Once the dough comes together, form a ball and then press down until it is about 1.5 to 2 inches thick. Cut an “X” into the top and place in the pan. If you are using a cast-iron pot with a lid, put the lid on. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes (for baking sheet) to 40 minutes (for cast-iron pot). Once done, cool on a wire rack. Do not cut until completely cooled.