Soda bread published containing a recipe for Soda Cake. In Europe, soda breads began to appear in the mid-19th century when bicarbonate of soda first became available for use as a raising agent. Breads, griddle cakes and scones with bicarbonate of soda, plus cream of tartar or tartaric acid became popular in Austria, Britain, Ireland and Poland. Traditional soda bread, eaten in Serbian cuisine, also uses bicarbonate of soda, particularly the traditional "česnica" (Serbian Cyrillic: Чесница), a soda bread made at Christmas. In Ireland, the flour is typically made from soft wheat, so soda bread is best made with a cake or
Plain loaf widely available style of loaf in comparison to the now more common pan loaf. Plain loaf A plain loaf, slices of which are known in Scots as plain breid (pronounced ), is a traditional style of loaf made chiefly in Scotland and Ireland. It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread. There is no crust on the sides due to the unbaked loaves being stuck together in batches, baked together then torn into individual loaves afterwards. The term batch loaf is sometimes used. This style of bread does not fit well in most modern