Pesto & Olive Soda Bread

Hi All!

I have always had a penchant for making breads and baking as I always say is therapeutic. It was one such day when I was feeling lost for no reason and I knew it was time to bake but bake fast. Somehow, I did not have the patience of waiting for the yeast to proof and rise, though the temperature here would have really helped that.

I decided to try a soda bread which uses baking soda instead of yeast as a raising agent. The bread does not need any kneading and has a rustic texture.Traditionally the ingredients used in making a soda bread are buttermilk, soda bi carb, salt and flour. The buttermilk containing lactic acid reacts with the soda to produce carbon dioxide which produces tiny bubbles. It’s a perfect bread to be tried by novices in baking as it needs minimal effort.

The soda bread is commonly made in various cuisines but the most famous is definitely the Irish Soda bread though they are not the inventors, apparently it was made earliest by the American Indians. However, as the Scots have made the bagpipe their instrument, the Irish have made Soda Bread theirs.  Not by choice, but by a state of poverty that made it the easiest bread to put on the table.

I had recently bought a book at Reliance Time Out at a good discount, the speciality of this book is that it has step by step pictures making it very easy to understand. Not that this bread was way too complicated to understand but I’m a virtual person, I love seeing pictures and I genuinely believe that comprehension is better with the help of pictures. I always rate a cookbook with good pictures higher than a book which has no pictures or less pictures. This book is by far the best as it has clear, step by step pictures, giving you a clarity whether you are proceeding correct, the texture and finish of the product. I came across this soda bread with olives and pesto and I thought perfect, I had all the ingredients with me to try this bread, I just halved the original recipe. I was overwhelmed with the outcome of the bread

This bread tastes best when eaten warm, it goes well with soups and curries. It can be had as snack smeared with olive oil or tapenade.

Pesto & Olive Soda Bread
Recipe- Frame by Frame Baking
Makes one 4”loaf
Serves:2-3
Preparation time:10mins
Baking time:20-25mins
Cooling Time:10mins
Ingredients
4.5oz of APF
4.50z wheat flour with bran
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1-1/2tbsp Home made Basil Pesto
1oz chopped olives
50-100ml buttermilk
milk for glazing

Method

Preheat the oven at 200C.
Grease a baking dish with olive spray.
Mix all ingredients and using the buttermilk bring all together. Do not knead.
Dust the platform with some flour and make a ball.
Flatten the ball and apply milk wash. Cut a cross lightly on the top.
Bake till golden brown. The loaf sound hollow when tapped underneath.



Sending this to my event ‘Only’ Snacks & Starters hosted by Raji at Vegetarian Tastebuds, Tickling Palate's, I Love Baking and Vardhini and Sumee's Bake Fest.