Soda bread

The soda in soda bread is bicarbonate of soda. This is an alkaline substance which, in order to raise the bread, has to combine with something acid, normally cream of tartar. The breads that sport ‘soda’ in their name are Irish soda breads, known as damper in Australia. Sweetened soda breads are familiar, though called by other names: blueberry muffins are made the same way as this soda bread, for example. Soda bread has no yeast, so there is no need for proving or rising. It is, in fact, a