Are you having a tough time getting your hands on yeast these days? Me too. Luckily I had a small stash from “before” but will admit to shying away from recipes requiring it these days as I’m not sure when I might be able to get more. So crazy that of all the things people have taken to doing in isolation, (sourdough) bread baking seems to be the common theme across the world.
I stayed away from bread baking for a long, long time, until well into adulthood – in fact it’s only in the last decade that I’ve even attempted it and even then, that progress was slow! The good news is that if you are home and wanting to dip your toes into the world of bread-making, there is a way to test the waters without full-on committing to a sourdough starter or even a multi-day “no knead” process – soda bread!
Soda bread is also a great introduction to bread-baking for kids – and who doesn’t need something for the kids to do these days? My Petits Chefs have made soda bread a few times and it’s always a hit because 1. It’s do-able in the hour timeframe we have for cooking club and 2. The boy are always amazed that “it looks like real bread” đ
Soda bread rolls
No yeast? No problem! Make these soda bread rolls - ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 225g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 100g (2/3 cup) whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (300mL) plain yoghurt (not fat-free)
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tablespoons milk if required
- 1/4 cup (60mls) 35% whipping cream (for brushing the tops of the rolls before you bake)
- a little extra whole wheat flour (for sprinkling on top of the rolls before you bake)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper or, alternatively, use a non-stick muffin tin.
- Whisk the flours, baking soda and sugar in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the yoghurt and egg together until well-combined.
- Scrape the yoghurt mixture into the flour.
- Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the flour.
- As soon as it starts to come together in a shaggy-looking mixture, use your hands to bring the dough together in to a rough ball. If the dough is too dry, add the extra 1-2 tablespoons of milk to bring it together.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until the ball is smooth.
- Divide into 12 portions (they will be roughly 50g each), shape them into round balls and place them on the baking tray or in the muffin tins.
- Use a sharp knife to cut a cross on top of each roll.
- Brush the top of each roll with the cream then sprinkle with a pinch of flour.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bottom of each roll is firm and crusty (internal temperature should read 180ËF).
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Best enjoyed slightly warm or room temperature the day they are baked. Alternatively, slice them once they are cool and freeze - they are great toasted!
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What about you – have you been baking bread recently?
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