No Yeast, Quick Homemade Bread
Last month I came across the classic Irish Soda Bread recipe and, of course, I had to try it myself. And it was great. I think it's just brilliant, the version I'm showing here is with whole-wheat flour and baking powder. That's the reason why I haven't named it Irish Soda Bread, because it's got no baking soda in it. It's so easy to bake, it doesn't need time to rest/rise and it takes so little to cool, so in a flash you will find yourself enjoying the tastiest, the healthiest and the most savoury bread. It has a soft crust and it's quite tender on the inside, with the texture similar to that of a loaf cake - you definitely have to try this recipe.
I think the vegetarian version is also possible - try mixing the soy milk with a bit of fresh lemon juice, but pay attention to the amount of flour, you might be needing more and so the texture might become thicker.
Fill a bowl with kefir or yogurt.
Add salt, sugar and baking powder.
Whisk well until you see some air bubbles - the acid from the kefir is reacting to the baking powder.
Now incorporate the flour.
The amount of flour might vary, so don't add too much at once. Start with 200g and, if the dough is too runny, add some more.
Mix dough with a spoon or a spatula, it has to be a bit sticky and soft, but not runny or liquid.
You don't want the dough to be too thick either, because this way the bread will be denser.
Turn the soft sticky dough out onto a floured surface.
Spread some more flour over and start kneading slightly.
Kneading this type of dough is different than kneading the classic one.
We just want to make everything blend together, you don't have to work it too hard.
Now shape into a round loaf or baguette, it's up to you.
I prefer the baguette, it's quicker to bake and perfect for the morning sandwiches.
Place the bread on a lined sheet pan and make some shallow cuts on top of it.
Bake it for 25-30 minutes to 180 degrees C.
You will notice that on top it won't change its colour very much, but underneath it is cooking, so pay attention to not burn it.
Let it cool for a bit, and I say 'for a bit' because you won't be having a lot of patience, especially on your first try.
Notice that my bread is nice and easy to slice, its crust is soft and on the inside it's smooth like a loaf cake.
Here you can see it better. I was really impressed with this bread and I really recommend trying it.
This whole-wheat flour recipe seems to taste better than the classic bread, so I will definitelly bake it a lot more often.
Enjoy!
