Brown soda bread, but hard crust, any ideas?

Spanish Eyes

Hi all,

Been making soda bread for a little while. I love it but the crust is so hard it's like concrete! So I cut off the top and enjoy the rest!

I tried the damp tea towel thing, but it didn't really help at all. Still tooth breaking potential!

Has anyone got the goodies on how the commercial soda bread makers have nice soft crusts on their loaves you can buy in the shop?

(I don't use yeast BTW, just 1/3 white and 2/3rds wholemeal flour with buttermilk, bread soda and salt, that's it)

Thanks all.

Mr. Presentable

Your dough may be too wet, your oven too hot. Or both!

Prenderb

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Hi all,

Been making soda bread for a little while. I love it but the crust is so hard it's like concrete! So I cut off the top and enjoy the rest!

I tried the damp tea towel thing, but it didn't really help at all. Still tooth breaking potential!

Has anyone got the goodies on how the commercial soda bread makers have nice soft crusts on their loaves you can buy in the shop?

(I don't use yeast BTW, just 1/3 white and 2/3rds wholemeal flour with buttermilk, bread soda and salt, that's it)

Thanks all.

How much buttermilk would you use generally? I have about 450ml for 450g flour, and don't have that. The other suggestion is you're baking it just a little bit too long! Also, I don't notice sugar in your ingredients list - I use about a teaspoon per loaf. I don't know if that would help, but just see it missing!

Spanish Eyes

Prenderb wrote: »

How much buttermilk would you use generally? I have about 450ml for 450g flour, and don't have that. The other suggestion is you're baking it just a little bit too long! Also, I don't notice sugar in your ingredients list - I use about a teaspoon per loaf. I don't know if that would help, but just see it missing!

Ok to be honest, I don't measure. I take a cup and put the white flour in, then two of the brown. Then I throw in the salt and soda and mix. Next I throw in the buttermilk, and mix till it's a consistency that I can turn over in the bowl, not too wet but not too dry.

I never take sugar in anything, coffee, tea, cereal etc. so maybe it might help, and might not be too noticeable...

Funny thing is, the bread tastes really good once the crust is gone!

I bake at 175 fan oven on a baking tray for about 40 minutes, and keep an eye on it, and do the upside down hollow test.

I'm kind of resigned to cutting the top off it now! But I like the rest of the loaf, if you follow me. Still would like a full loaf though!

Birdsong

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Ok to be honest, I don't measure. I take a cup and put the white flour in, then two of the brown. Then I throw in the salt and soda and mix. Next I throw in the buttermilk, and mix till it's a consistency that I can turn over in the bowl, not too wet but not too dry.

I never take sugar in anything, coffee, tea, cereal etc. so maybe it might help, and might not be too noticeable...

Funny thing is, the bread tastes really good once the crust is gone!

I bake at 175 fan oven on a baking tray for about 40 minutes, and keep an eye on it, and do the upside down hollow test.

I'm kind of resigned to cutting the top off it now! But I like the rest of the loaf, if you follow me. Still would like a full loaf though!

I put my brown soda bread into a plastic bag, a large freezer bag, and this does the trick to soften the crust

Spanish Eyes

Birdsong wrote: »

I put my brown soda bread into a plastic bag, a large freezer bag, and this does the trick to soften the crust

Does that not make the whole loaf a bit soggy though? Maybe not. Might try it, thanks.

I googled a bit, and apparently if you put the loaf in a tin, and cover it with a similar sized tin, the crust is softer. Anyone covered the loaf in the oven like this?

Winston79

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Does that not make the whole loaf a bit soggy though? Maybe not. Might try it, thanks.

I wrap my bread in cling film and leave it for a good few hours or overnight, while it does get soggy when wrapped, when I unwrap it and let it dry it always has just the right crust, not too hard and not too soft.

duploelabs

Fan oven-that's your problem, use conventional if you can. Also after baking wrap the bread in a damp tea towel as it cools, that will soften the crust