Gluten development in Irish Soda Bread
I've been working on perfecting my ratios and handling technique in my Irish Soda Bread recipe and have come up with a question I cannot find the answer to. I know that Irish Soda Bread is supposed to be a quick bread but it's texture does not depend on being a tender,flaky biscuit that requires gentle handling for a successful rise. So why isn't the gluten network more developed for a better texture?
Here's the question:
Why isn't a baking soda leavened bread kneaded to develop gluten formation? The slices would be more flexible, I believe. Bubble formation to trap gas is important whether the gas comes from yeast or chemical and a gluten network helps form bubbles.
Here is my recipe-such as it is at this stage. It makes a very finely crumbed sandwich loaf consistency.
IRISH SODA BREAD
3 c (436g) AP FLOUR
1 c (153g) rye or other FLOUR (I used rye flour for this recipe)
1 tsp (5g) BAKING SODA
2 tsp (8 g) BAKING POWDER
1 tsp (8g) SALT (1 ½ tsp-13g)(needs a little more if no vegemite)
2 c(490g) BUTTERMILK/SOURED MILK (NOTE:TOO MUCH-REDUCE TO 1 ½ C)
(1 TBSP LEMON JUICE/VINEGAR TO 1 CUP MILK)
1 c milk=230g, 1tbsp lemon juice = 30g
2 TBSP(34g)HONEY
2 tbsp (24g) BUTTER/OIL
1 tbsp (13g)VEGEMITE (OPTIONAL-FOR FLAVOR BUT ADJUST SALT IF NECESSARY-mix in well)
Mix dry ingredients well
Mix vegemite so fully dissolved in liquid (NO LUMPS!)
Mix liquids and add into dry ingredients.Mix with fingers ONLY until dough comes together. It should be barely kneadable. Messy.
Knead just a few times to shape into large boule.
Place on baking sheet-Cut a deep cross on top-bake til brown/hollow sounding.
Enjoy while warm.
Wrap well if keeping for the next day. Tastes better when made daily.
The answer is in the flour traditionally used in Irish quick breads. It has little protein and forms small amounts of weak gluten, further tenderized and weakened by the addition of fat, buttermilk, etc.
Even in your formula, if your APF is 10% protein, it is diluted by non gluten forming rye flour, behaving like cake and pastry flour with 7%protein further weakened by the addition of 10% sugar and fat.
That is why it is only mixed to homogeneity to blend the ingredients and hydrate the flour particles. No gluten development is necessary or even possible in some cases, because it is mixed and baked so quickly, gluten has no time to form.
My AP is, indeed, 10% protein according to the packaging (Target store brand AP flour) and adding the rye flour (trying to use up last of a bag in the cupboard) will reduce the protein even more in the mix. BUT, what if I use all AP flour?, My 10% AP flour makes a decent loaf of sandwich bread (or medium enriched brioche), as long as I develop the dough to a good windowpane so it should develop a decent gluten network with proper hydration and kneading in the Soda Bread recipe I'm using.
So now I pose the same question. Does that change anything?
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UPDATE: I found a very interesting writeup that may answer some of the questions regarding the crumb structure but the ingredients and baking method are very different so I know it is not exactly comparing apples to apples. HERE is the link. Real buttermilk apparently makes a difference in the texture according to this author. Also, she bakes it in a much hotter oven in a Dutch oven.
Some more experimentation in my near future.
You can use all AP or even all bread flour, but
1) the principles of mixing will still be the same.
- No kneading gives you lower volume and rough crust,
- a little kneading gives you taller breads with finer crumb and smoother crust.
- More kneading to gluten development will give you the toughest crumb and the tunneling defect.
The difference between yeasted and soda breads is in the amount of gas. In soda breads it is limited by the acid in buttermilk, there are no other acids for the reaction of soda with acid to proceed. So our soda breads will not rise as tall and majestic as yeasted breads. There is not enough gas to open the pores in the crumb. True soda breads barely double in volume. Modern recipes add baking powder, to triple the initial volume, but that is cheating ;)
2) by doing that you will no longer approximate Irish soda breads which are baked from local soft Irish wheat milled into weak brown flour for soda breads. You will be baking something closer to a muffin which needs more sugar and fat and/or egg yolks for tenderness.
I may need to rename the bread as Baking Powder Bread or Muffin bread. My recipe was already far from traditional Irish Soda Bread- it had just retained the name from where it started.
I love making yeasted,and SD breads but I am reaching out and trying to make a few breads outside my usual that are quick but still delicious. I just cut into my latest loaf made with the above recipe and it is pretty good. Not 12 hr retarded-freshly milled whole wheat-overnight BIGA-well hydrated-properly fermented deliciousness but still a contender in its class (made in under an hour-with standard cupboard ingredients.) The Vegemite gives it a nicely fermented taste without the fermentation process.
The dough handled like a very typical rye dough-soft, barely kneadable and VERY sticky. I used a generous bench flour for handling as I kneaded it just a few times for shaping. If I was going to do further kneading, I would have used a little water and damp hands. The pan was well oiled with a coating of rolled oats for easy release.
A quick picture. This loaf I made in a pan as it seems more suited a shape for toast/sandwiches. I baked to an internal temp of 200F but it seems dry-next time 180F. I put the bottle next to it for size perspective-it is a small loaf.
I will continue to experiment and see where I get with this type of loaf. I am hoping for a place where there is a flexible, even crumb with no tunnelling and no crumbliness. The Serious Eats author is adamant that proper hydration,acidity,enough soda and adequate mix are required.
Mariana, with your expertise added, I hope to produce a baking powder loaf that will have a flexible and even crumb with a good rise using AP flour, less percentage oil/sugar and baking powder as well as soda. I will continue to use the soured milk as I almost never have buttermilk on hand and I'm still trying to use what I normally have in my cupboard. I will post my results as I have them. Any and all thoughts are welcome!!
Really delicious toasted with butter and jam!
Your bread looks really yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipe and the picture of your bread.
I think that regardless of the choice of the specific leavener, all chemically leavened breads are collectively called soda breads. I am like you, I love soda breads no less than yeasted or sourdough breads, including 100% whole wheat and 100%rye soda breads and bake them regularly in my bread machine.
Have you tried Irish soda bread recipe from Jeffrey Hamelman's book? It truly is the best, the tastiest, most bread like in taste and aroma. Try it, maybe that is what you've been looking for all this time.
True buttermilk is an unusual product, its chemical composition is so unique. I usually bake with dry buttermilk or dry milk and the difference in the same bread is very noticeable. There is soured dry buttermilk available on amazon, with dry lactic acid powder added to it. If you bake a lot, you might consider it. Soda breads benefit from a touch of sourness in them as well, flavor wise.
For additional moistness, consider using either apple puree (or grated fresh apple) or bananas as part or all of the liquid. They are high in plant fbers that retain moistness very well. Floyd once posted a banana bread recipe here, I tested it, and it is not that sweet and quite neutral tasting to be eaten both on its own and as a base for ham and cheese sandwiches.
I also like this soda bread (it's with soda and lemon juice soured milk but it is also based on self rising flour which I adore baking and cooking with) by Jack Monroe.
I used dried buttermilk years ago but have totally forgotten about it. I think I will find some as I think I will be making variations of this bread for a while. Thanks for the reminder!
Unfortunately, I do not have Hammelman's book with a soda bread recipe and I have scoured the internet but cannot find a copy anywhere. I will continue with mine.
I tried a 1 cup loaf all AP flour (which is why I am converting all my recipes to grams-so I can scale down/up). However, I was multitasking and forgot to add the honey and the oil. I did proceed and followed the Serious Eats advice about adding enough buttermilk to make the dough "Too thick to pour, too thin to knead". I also baked it at 400F under a cover and on parchment paper. It had a nice shiny crust and the loaf was soft. The crumb was pretty dense and it took extra baking to brown (no honey-the other loaf browned nicely). Since it was a boule with a high hydration, it did pancake rather than rise-it was only 1 inch tall!. Not picture worthy. Taste was ok but I really like just a touch of honey.
I will try again but in a few days. And I will acquire some dried buttermilk!
I am sorry that I didn't provide the recipe. It is available by googling it and clicking on the Google books tab. It is part of the 3rd edition's preview:
Make your own butter and use the buttermilk.