This recipe may be the easiest sweet bread you can make. No kneading, no rising. Just mix and bake. It’s perfect for a quick breakfast. This bread is moist like a cake, with a delicious apple scent and flavor.
On the Ingredients
- Baking Soda or sodium bicarbonate is a chemical compound commonly used for baking, though it has many other uses. Sodium bicarbonate produces carbon dioxide when mixed with an acid (think science fair volcanos). In this way, it’s used to leaven baked goods. You can use a variety of acids to create this reaction, such as yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, cream of tartar, cocoa, and vinegar. On the other hand, baking powder is made of sodium bicarbonate mixed with an acid such as cream of tartar or calcium acid phosphate. The formula’s alkaline and acids are activated by water; therefore, no additional acid is needed in the recipe. Generally, you use baking soda in a recipe with a significant acid component, like yogurt, and baking powder in a recipe with no significant acid. What about using both? Since baking soda is actually an antacid, it cancels out the acidic flavor, so you might use both in a recipe where you want the sour tang flavor, like buttermilk biscuits. Or you might need both if it’s a heavier recipe where the baking soda alone won’t cut it for leavening.
- Yogurt is a fermented milk product made by humans since Neolithic times. It can be eaten by itself or used as an ingredient in many different savory and sweet recipes. There are a few different kinds of yogurt, maybe the best-known sub-category being Greek or strained yogurt, which is thicker. In baking, yogurt with help keep a recipe moist, impart a slight tang, and the acid in it will activate baking soda. Yogurt is high in protein and contains a lot of nutrients. It’s particularly high in calcium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin. It also contains phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Many yogurt brands also add vitamin D. Unpasteurized yogurt is a probiotic containing live bacteria, which can aid in digestive health. Even many pasteurized yogurts still contain live bacteria (check the label). (Read more the health benefits.)
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
You can make this recipe vegan by replacing the yogurt with a vegan alternative, but you will need to add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar.
Sweet Apple Soda Bread
This recipe may be the easiest sweet bread you can make. No kneading, no rising. Just mix and bake. It’s perfect for a quick breakfast. This bread is moist like a cake, with a delicious apple scent and flavor.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 apples (chopped)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups plain yogurt (whole milk)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and turn the dough out onto it. Form a large circular loaf and use a bread knife to cut a deep cross on the top of the bread.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown, and it sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom. Serve warm with butter.
