Irish Soda Bread

So yes, I'm back from holidays! We went to Ireland for a little while, a usual trip for us to visit family. Whenever we are in Ireland I absolutely love the brown soda bread which is almost always made with buttermilk. We were able to buy some that were dairy free and very good - I brought a couple loaves home and they are in the freezer :) However I always wanted to try my own replacing the buttermilk with soy yogurt as it should do the same function - an acidic, thick liquid that would react with the baking soda. 

Well it works brilliantly, this recipe is a very basic one which is what I wanted, today I made it white instead of brown as the boy won't eat brown bread :( I will however post both versions and will get back to you how the other fares - sorry about the cups measures for the other one, I'll adapt it when I make it. *edit* the brown was really good but I forgot to weigh the measurements!

White Soda Bread:

450g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
350 - 412ml soy yogurt

Brown Soda Bread:

6 Cups wholemeal flour (preferably stoneground)
4 Cups plain white flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
3 1/4 Cups soy yogurt

Instructions for both: whisk all the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the centre and add almost all the yogurt. Using your hand mix it together until just moist but not sticky, add more yogurt if needed. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and gently shape into a round, turning over once, about 1 1/2 - 2 " thick. Cut a large cross over the top and place on a paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 230C/450F for 15 minutes then reduce the oven to 200C/400F and bake for a further 30 minutes. It should be risen and crusty golden on top and should sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. Cool on a rack briefly, slice and serve. *note* when I made mine I halved the amount and thus it didn't take so long in the oven, just 15 minutes for the second bake, so keep an eye on it.

Source: Recipe is based on Darina Allen's from here and here .

♥