[Sca-cooks] soda bread plate

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach Stefan li Rous:
>  Christianna commented:
>>I got a lovely Christmas preset yesterday (a little late, but just in time
>>for my birthday tomorow ;)  from my granddaughter-proteges, an Irish Soda
>>Bread plate.  It is a ceramic dish with straight walls about 1 inch
>>high, with a color picture of a brick oven producing soda breads,and a raised
>>knotwork design around the outside edge.
>So, how is this plate supposed to be used? Is it specific to making 
>soda bread or for any breads?

I was wondering that myself, to wit, is it a baking implement or just 
a serving plate, and if the latter, why the raised lip/edge? 
Traditionally, soda bread is free-formed into a round loaf, and it's 
possible such a pan might check the spread of such a loaf, and give 
it a little height without losing its hand-formed, round shape.

Or maybe it's still just for serving, which, given its decorative 
nature, would be my guess.

>>It came with a recipe card
>>included, so I guess I'll have to make some soda bread soon.
>What specifically is "soda bread"? Bread for eating while drinking 
>soft drinks? One of the first breads made using baking soda?

Bread specifically raised with baking soda, as opposed to ones raised 
with yeast or baking powder, but also including baking soda as an 
ingredient. Soda bread in Ireland (which is where the concept more or 
less comes from, primarily), is, or was, basically a large biscuit or 
scone (in the modern sense of scone, not the Celtic word for oatcake) 
made with flour, salt, sour milk, and baking soda. Frequently made 
with whole wheat flour. Later, and according to some, heretical, 
additions include buttermilk, butter, sugar, raisins and/or currants, 
and caraway seeds. One of the finest Irish dishes the English ever 
invented ;-).  Some authorities will claim the additions are legit, 
and there may be some kind of North/South Ireland dichotomy at work, 
but ultimately the fancified versions ignore older Irish traditions 
and embrace English ones (which, as in Scotland, amounts to pretty 
much the same thing).

Adamantius, fan of brown soda bread with oysters and stout (on the 
side, Stefan, not baked in; don't even ask)