A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread, and it being a cold and
dreary morning, I decided to give it a try.
Followed the recipe and arrived at a very damp dough. I kept adding
flour until I could form it into a ball.
As I looked at the end results, I wondered what would it look like if
I had added too much flour.
Can anyone tell me how too much flour would affect the outcome? - MIke

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:01:43 -0500, Michael Horowitz
> wrote:

>A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread, and it being a cold and
>dreary morning, I decided to give it a try.
>Followed the recipe and arrived at a very damp dough. I kept adding
>flour until I could form it into a ball.
>As I looked at the end results, I wondered what would it look like if
>I had added too much flour.
>Can anyone tell me how too much flour would affect the outcome? - MIke
>

Too much flour could lead to a dryer loaf, but post the full recipe.

Boron

Michael Horowitz > wrote in message
...
> A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread,
> and it being a cold and dreary morning, I decided
> to give it a try. Followed the recipe and arrived at
> a very damp dough. I kept adding flour until I
> could form it into a ball. As I looked at the end
> results, I wondered what would it look like if
> I had added too much flour. Can anyone tell
> me how too much flour would affect the outcome?

Hardtack or scones.

What's the recipe you followed look like?

Here's the recipe Spawn made for her pre-K class a few years ago.
Aside from the Flour Explosion, the bread turned out darned good.

IRISH SODA BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
o 1 cup self-rising flour
o 1/2 tsp. Salt
o 1 tsp. baking soda
o 1 cup buttermilk

METHOD:
Mix all ingredients together. Turn out onto lightly floured
surface. Knead for approximately 3 minutes. Shape into an 8"
round. Using a floured knife, cute round into quarters. Lightly
flour a round griddle (or electric frying pan if no round griddle)
and place soda farls on griddle, preheated to 350F. Cook each side
approximately 5 minutes. Stand each farl on end for approx. 2
minutes to make sure inside is cooked. (You can add a 1/2 cup of
sultanas to make it a dessert-like bread.)

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:

> and place soda farls on griddle, preheated to 350F. Cook each side

Okay, "farls" sent me to the dictionary. Anyone else?

--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project - http://improve-usenet.org

Blinky the Shark > wrote in message
news
> The Ranger wrote:
>> and place soda farls on griddle, preheated to 350F. Cook each
>> side
>
> Okay, "farls" sent me to the dictionary. Anyone else?

You can thank me by trying the recipe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farl

The Ranger

In article >,
Michael Horowitz > wrote:

> A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread, and it being a cold and
> dreary morning, I decided to give it a try.
> Followed the recipe and arrived at a very damp dough. I kept adding
> flour until I could form it into a ball.
> As I looked at the end results, I wondered what would it look like if
> I had added too much flour.
> Can anyone tell me how too much flour would affect the outcome? - MIke

If there were too much flour, the dough would not form a ball. It would
fall apart.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:16:41 -0500, Boron Elgar
> wrote:

>Too much flour could lead to a dryer loaf, but post the full recipe.
>
>Boron

Mary Lu's Irish Soda Bread

Sift together:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Add 1 cup buttermilk - stir in enough to make a soft dough, similar
to biscuit dough

Knead lightly on lightly floured surface

Form into a round ball. Place on cookie sheet. Cut an X in the top.

Brush with melted butter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. (cover with foil last 15
minutes if it gets too brown)

Cool before slicing, traditionally rather thinly.

In article >,
"The Ranger" > wrote:

> Michael Horowitz > wrote in message
> ...
> > A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread,
> > and it being a cold and dreary morning, I decided
> > to give it a try. Followed the recipe and arrived at
> > a very damp dough. I kept adding flour until I
> > could form it into a ball. As I looked at the end
> > results, I wondered what would it look like if
> > I had added too much flour. Can anyone tell
> > me how too much flour would affect the outcome?
>
> Hardtack or scones.

Eh? Scones are soft and tender, nothing like hardtack.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:44:26 -0500, Michael Horowitz
> wrote:

>On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:16:41 -0500, Boron Elgar
> wrote:
>
>>Too much flour could lead to a dryer loaf, but post the full recipe.
>>
>>Boron
>
>Mary Lu's Irish Soda Bread
>
>Sift together:
>2 c. all purpose flour
>1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
>1/2 teaspoon baking soda
>1/2 teaspoon salt
>2 teaspoons sugar
>
>Add 1 cup buttermilk - stir in enough to make a soft dough, similar
>to biscuit dough
>
>Knead lightly on lightly floured surface
>
>Form into a round ball. Place on cookie sheet. Cut an X in the top.
>
>Brush with melted butter.
>
>Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. (cover with foil last 15
>minutes if it gets too brown)
>
>Cool before slicing, traditionally rather thinly.


Are you familiar with the consistency of a biscuit dough as the recipe
describes? Some folks don't make biscuits from scratch, so that part
might not help in making this recipe. I'd take it to mean a soft, but
not a smooth or elastic dough...you want the ingredients thoroughly
moistened, but not over mixed or you get a tough loaf. You wouldn't
knead with the strength or length of time you'd use for a yeasted
bread dough. You don't want too much gluten formation in soda bread,
just as you don't with biscuits. You want a soft, almost moist crumb.

Too much flour would produce not a soft dough, but one that is more
firm, perhaps somewhat crumbly. Either could lead to a loaf that would
be more dry than desired.

Of course, slathering with lots of good butter and jam could help
compensate for an error....

There used to be a wonderful video one could find online, showing an
elderly Irish woman making wholemeal soda bread. The voice-over was in
Gaelic, so the exact recipe was not easy to discern, but the technique
the woman used, her wonderful hand work at mixing and forming the
loaves, was beautiful -almost like a dance. Alas, the woman has passed
away and I cannot find the video. I have a copy saved on a hard drive
somewhere, though, but am unable to share it.

Boron

Miche > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "The Ranger" > wrote:
>> Michael Horowitz > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread,
>> > and it being a cold and dreary morning, I decided
>> > to give it a try. Followed the recipe and arrived at
>> > a very damp dough. I kept adding flour until I
>> > could form it into a ball. As I looked at the end
>> > results, I wondered what would it look like if
>> > I had added too much flour. Can anyone tell
>> > me how too much flour would affect the outcome?
>> >
>> Hardtack or scones.
>>
> Eh? Scones are soft and tender, nothing like hardtack.

The "scones" I've had (not made) are hard-and-tough as day-old
biscuits, crumbly right out of the oven up until complete
consumed. The ONLY soft-and-tender scones I've had were from a
commercial kitchen where the baker was infamous for undercooking
everything -- bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies.

The Ranger

In article >,
"The Ranger" > wrote:

> Miche > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > "The Ranger" > wrote:
> >> Michael Horowitz > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread,
> >> > and it being a cold and dreary morning, I decided
> >> > to give it a try. Followed the recipe and arrived at
> >> > a very damp dough. I kept adding flour until I
> >> > could form it into a ball. As I looked at the end
> >> > results, I wondered what would it look like if
> >> > I had added too much flour. Can anyone tell
> >> > me how too much flour would affect the outcome?
> >> >
> >> Hardtack or scones.
> >>
> > Eh? Scones are soft and tender, nothing like hardtack.
>
> The "scones" I've had (not made) are hard-and-tough as day-old
> biscuits, crumbly right out of the oven up until complete
> consumed.

Overcooked. Scones should not be crumbly.

> The ONLY soft-and-tender scones I've had were from a
> commercial kitchen where the baker was infamous for undercooking
> everything -- bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies.

Try these, and tell me you still feel the same:

SCONES

3 cups flour (all-purpose, I think you guys call it)
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
50g (2 oz) butter
about 1 1/4 cups milk

Preheat an oven to 450F/220C.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter.
Add milk and mix to a soft dough (I use a knife). Knead lightly a few
times (don't overwork).

Lightly dust an oven tray with flour and press the scone dough out onto
the tray, to about 1 1/2 - 2cm (about 3/4") thickness.

Cut into 12 even-sized pieces, leaving about 2.5cm/1 inch between the
scones. Brush tops with a little milk. Bake at 450F/225C for about 10
minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

Michael Horowitz wrote:
>
> On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:16:41 -0500, Boron Elgar
> > wrote:
>
> >Too much flour could lead to a dryer loaf, but post the full recipe.
> >
> >Boron
>
> Mary Lu's Irish Soda Bread
>
> Sift together:
> 2 c. all purpose flour
> 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 2 teaspoons sugar

OK that isn't soda bread, strictly speaking. Should only be baking/bread
soda in there; no baking powder. That would probably dry out the bread
anyway. Skip the baking powder and just use 1 1/2 tsp baking soda.
You can skip the sugar too.

>
> Add 1 cup buttermilk - stir in enough to make a soft dough, similar
> to biscuit dough

That's right; it should just hold together. Make a well in the flour,
add the buttermilk and mix in the flour from the edge of the bowl
inward.
>
> Knead lightly on lightly floured surface

True; overkneading makes a tough bread.
>
> Form into a round ball. Place on cookie sheet. Cut an X in the top.

OK but the ball can be flattened a little into a disc; will bake more
evenly.
>
> Brush with melted butter.

But why? Not needed and will soften the crust. Unless that's what you
want of course LOL.

> Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. (cover with foil last 15
> minutes if it gets too brown)
>
> Cool before slicing, traditionally rather thinly.


Too much flour will certainly make the bread too dry. Reserve some of
the measured flour before adding the buttermilk.

Try again LOL. It's an easy bread to make and the whole
mixing/kneading/shaping process takes/should take only a very few
minutes.

Blinky the Shark wrote:
>
> The Ranger wrote:
>
> > and place soda farls on griddle, preheated to 350F. Cook each side
>
> Okay, "farls" sent me to the dictionary. Anyone else?
>
> --
> Blinky


LOL. Shortbread can be cut into farls as well!

Miche wrote:
>
> In article >,
> "The Ranger" > wrote:
>
> > Miche > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > In article >,
> > > "The Ranger" > wrote:
> > >> Michael Horowitz > wrote in message
> > >> ...
> > >> > A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread,
> > >> > and it being a cold and dreary morning, I decided
> > >> > to give it a try. Followed the recipe and arrived at
> > >> > a very damp dough. I kept adding flour until I
> > >> > could form it into a ball. As I looked at the end
> > >> > results, I wondered what would it look like if
> > >> > I had added too much flour. Can anyone tell
> > >> > me how too much flour would affect the outcome?
> > >> >
> > >> Hardtack or scones.
> > >>
> > > Eh? Scones are soft and tender, nothing like hardtack.
> >
> > The "scones" I've had (not made) are hard-and-tough as day-old
> > biscuits, crumbly right out of the oven up until complete
> > consumed.
>
> Overcooked. Scones should not be crumbly.
>
> > The ONLY soft-and-tender scones I've had were from a
> > commercial kitchen where the baker was infamous for undercooking
> > everything -- bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies.
>
> Try these, and tell me you still feel the same:
>
> SCONES
>
> 3 cups flour (all-purpose, I think you guys call it)
> 2 Tablespoons baking powder
> 1/4 teaspoon salt
> 50g (2 oz) butter
> about 1 1/4 cups milk
>
> Preheat an oven to 450F/220C.
>
> Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter.
> Add milk and mix to a soft dough (I use a knife). Knead lightly a few
> times (don't overwork).
>
> Lightly dust an oven tray with flour and press the scone dough out onto
> the tray, to about 1 1/2 - 2cm (about 3/4") thickness.
>
> Cut into 12 even-sized pieces, leaving about 2.5cm/1 inch between the
> scones. Brush tops with a little milk. Bake at 450F/225C for about 10
> minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack.
>
> Miche


Miche those scones would taste equally fantastic if you replaced the
milk with cream...

In article >, Arri London >
wrote:

> Miche wrote:
> >
> > In article >,
> > "The Ranger" > wrote:
> >
> > > Miche > wrote in message
> > > ...
> > > > In article >,
> > > > "The Ranger" > wrote:
> > > >> Michael Horowitz > wrote in message
> > > >> ...
> > > >> > A friend had given me a recipe for Soda Bread,
> > > >> > and it being a cold and dreary morning, I decided
> > > >> > to give it a try. Followed the recipe and arrived at
> > > >> > a very damp dough. I kept adding flour until I
> > > >> > could form it into a ball. As I looked at the end
> > > >> > results, I wondered what would it look like if
> > > >> > I had added too much flour. Can anyone tell
> > > >> > me how too much flour would affect the outcome?
> > > >> >
> > > >> Hardtack or scones.
> > > >>
> > > > Eh? Scones are soft and tender, nothing like hardtack.
> > >
> > > The "scones" I've had (not made) are hard-and-tough as day-old
> > > biscuits, crumbly right out of the oven up until complete
> > > consumed.
> >
> > Overcooked. Scones should not be crumbly.
> >
> > > The ONLY soft-and-tender scones I've had were from a
> > > commercial kitchen where the baker was infamous for undercooking
> > > everything -- bread, pastries, cakes, and cookies.
> >
> > Try these, and tell me you still feel the same:
> >
> > SCONES
> >
> > 3 cups flour (all-purpose, I think you guys call it)
> > 2 Tablespoons baking powder
> > 1/4 teaspoon salt
> > 50g (2 oz) butter
> > about 1 1/4 cups milk
> >
> > Preheat an oven to 450F/220C.
> >
> > Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter.
> > Add milk and mix to a soft dough (I use a knife). Knead lightly a few
> > times (don't overwork).
> >
> > Lightly dust an oven tray with flour and press the scone dough out onto
> > the tray, to about 1 1/2 - 2cm (about 3/4") thickness.
> >
> > Cut into 12 even-sized pieces, leaving about 2.5cm/1 inch between the
> > scones. Brush tops with a little milk. Bake at 450F/225C for about 10
> > minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack.

>
> Miche those scones would taste equally fantastic if you replaced the
> milk with cream...

I'm sure they would. I'll have to give it a go sometime.

Oh, and I should attribute the recipe -- it's from the Edmonds Cookbook.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases