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I'm fed up with fighting altitude and yeast so figured soda bread might be the way to go. Anyone got a good soda bread recipe? Bonus points if you have cooked it at 6000'

And points deducted if you use a microwave. That means you Scruffy.

This is from my SIL. Never made it so can't vouch for it.
I guess you could omit the caraway seeds and raisins.


4 cups regular flour
1 cup granulated sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
1/2 pound margarine, melted (Yuck! I would replace with butter)
2 eggs, beater
1/2 quart buttermilk
1/2 box raisins, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and then drained.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and caraway seeds. Add buttermilk and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Mix in margarine and then raisins.
Let stand 15 to 30 minutes before pouring into large greased and floured baking pan. Bake at 325 F approximately 60 minutes until top is brown.

I *think* this is the one I use - I usually use the one in the King Arthur cookbook.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/ ... ead-recipe

On their website, there are a bunch of soda bread recipes that could be worth a try: http://search.kingarthurflour.com/searc ... soda+bread

And if there are any questions about altitude (or anything else), they actually are really great about answering questions...

No soda bread recipes, but a baking blog recommendation — Cookistry. I originally found Donna on Serious Eats, where she had a great bread baking column. She's on the Front Range, so not quite your elevation, but close.

Silly bascar- everyone knows you can't make soda bread in a microwave!

Just a non-cooking person question. Why buttermilk? Do I really need to find buttermilk? I might try the King Arthur recipe even though I don't cook much of anything.

You don't *need* buttermilk but you do need some sort of acidy milk like soured milk or thinned yogurt. Otherwise it doesn't react properly with the baking soda and you get rocks instead of bread. It's just real buttermilk (and I have to say real because the stuff you buy in the Hood carton isn't actually buttermilk) adds a lovely flavor.

Buttermilk can be "made" by adding 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for like 5 minutes.

That's how I make cheddar bay biscuits that call for buttermilk.

That's good to know!

Valerie wrote:That's good to know!

Better living through chemistry in another way.

Caraway seed is one of the few things that will make me projectile vomit but I have flour, salt, bicarb, milk and lemon juice, so will report back later.

Does anyone actually drink buttermilk? It always annoys me that it is only sold (here anyways) in one liter (approx. 1 quart) containers. Use 1 cup and throw out the rest. I just bought some for a recipe and I am going to try freezing it in 1 cup baggies for future use!

Hmm, I double checked the recipe. It calls for baking powder and not baking soda. So why is it called soda bread then?

FWIW, my mom used to love to drink buttermilk. I can't stand the stuff.

Another easy substitute for cultured buttermilk is SACO powder. My grocery store (which is NOT Walmart ) stocks it in the baking aisle. The New York Times test kitchen gave it a good review.

The King Arthur recipe says baking soda, and no baking powder. I bought cultured buttermilk this morning since I had to go shopping anyway. I'm going to try this. It may be a dismal failure- I will report back!

My parents both drank buttermilk. It is a Southern thing, I am told, as you are supposed to soak cornbread in buttermilk and eat it, then drink the milk. I never fell for that though. I can't even smell buttermilk without my stomach churning.

Now cornbread, yum!

I don't even know what soda bread is, but I'm off to look now.

My Grandma used to drink buttermilk.

I do Chance's trick of adding vinegar to regular milk. It seems to work fine.

I love soda bread. I'm going to have to try the King Arthur recipe.

Woohoo! It worked I used the King Arthur recipe, and store bought buttermilk. I did need more than 1 1/3 cup buttermilk, but I had to buy it by the pint- and I'm certainly not going to use it for anything else. I tasted it. It is icky. But the bread is quite good, especially smothered in butter hot out of the oven.

Wish you could send me a piece. With the leftover buttermilk, make buttermilk dressing. Tons of recipes on the Intertubez.

Freeze your leftover buttermilk

I have to buy it for a cake I bake once or twice a year and only use a 1/4c. I freeze the rest or that's $$$ down the drain. Literally.

myleetlepony wrote:Freeze your leftover buttermilk

I have to buy it for a cake I bake once or twice a year and only use a 1/4c. I freeze the rest or that's $$$ down the drain. Literally.

How do you freeze it? In small amounts in a plastic freezer-safe container? This is good to know!

No, usually I just freeze it in the container, defrost in the fridge and shake before using. Then back in the freezer it goes! I guess it never occurred to me to freeze it in smaller amounts...if I have the time I might do that with the next container. Hmm...maybe an ice cube tray then put the cubes in a container...

Chancellor wrote:Buttermilk can be "made" by adding 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for like 5 minutes.

That's how I make cheddar bay biscuits that call for buttermilk.

This works for the taste, but not for the lightness. Only buttermilk makes them really light and fluffy imo. My mom did this growing up and I did too until I realized real buttermilk is so much better. We put it in waffles and pancakes and the difference is amazing.

Good to know it freezes. I do this with chicken stock that comes in big 900ml (nearly a quart) containers. I use what I need and freeze the rest - 1 cup in a small freezer bag and then put all of them in a larger freezer bag.

Good tip on the freezing. I stopped buying buttermilk because I would only need a little and the rest would be wasted.

I never thought of freezing it. Great to know

If you're looking for a way to use it up, buttermilk makes fabulous ice cream.