Soda bread is bread in which yeast has been substituted with baking soda which allows the bread to be cooked to a specified size. It is due to this use that many packaged sandwich makers have turned to using soda bread in their products.

The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide.

Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout Ireland, and brown soda bread is often served with the Irish breakfast. In Ulster, soda bread is a major constituent of the Ulster fry, a regional dish, and is made on a griddle in the form of farls.

Variations

• Wheaten bread is a soda bread made with whole wheat flour.