Soda bread taste

[wuzzo87]

due to lack of time (exams ) and the need bread of bread for breakfast, i made soda bread instead.
I've never tasted one before, but wat i came out with had some kinda chemical ammonia smell to it. Wasn't tht very strong. It has to be the soda.

Just wondering if it's usually like that or the soda has to be cut down?
(btw, how's the crumb suppose to be like? )

[KyleW]

Sounds, or rather smells, like a bit too much soda. Either that or not enough acid. The baking soda has to be balanced by an acid, like buttermilk. If there isn;t enough acid present you will wind up with the off flavor you experienced. What recipe did you use?

[wuzzo87]

I used the recipe here

http://www.europeancuisines.com/Pete...eadRecipe.html

But i didn't have buttermilk, or rather, there is no such thing as buttermilk where i live, so i added approx. 1 tbsp cider vinegar to 1C milk.

Btw, i noticed too that my soda gives a yellow tinge to the bread. But it still possesses rising power. Should i change the soda?

Oh, yea. And if i don't have buttermilk and i use plain milk, will equal amounts of cream of tartar to soda do the trick?

THX!

[wuzzo87]

I conducted a lil test just now.
My Soda seem to stop its reaction only after 3 equal parts of cream of tartar (2 parts gave a better taste though), and about 10 parts of cider vinegar.

So, must be the neutralisation?

[wuzzo87]

Today i made soda bread again, except i topped up the acidity.
It has much less of the smell, very mild, i could say it was much better already!
Must be the neutralisation.

Thx for the help & advice Kyle!