A lot of people seem to mistake sourdough bread with soda bread, thinking that they are the same thing. But in reality, they couldn’t be any different.
The 9 main differences between sourdough bread and soda bread are:
- Soda bread uses baking soda, while sourdough uses fermentation
- Sourdough needs water, soda bread uses buttermilk
- Soda bread is denser than sourdough bread
- Sourdough bread uses a starter
- Soda bread is faster to make
- Sourdough bread is more complicated to make
- Soda bread tastes sweeter
- Sourdough bread is healthier
- They use different types of flour
As you can see there are quite a few differences, some are related to the rising process and some to the taste and texture of the bread. So let’s go over the differences a little more in-depth, and then we’ll also see what a combination of the two types of bread is, the sourdough soda bread, so you can enjoy all of their advantages at the same time
Differences Between Sourdough Bread and Soda Bread
1. Soda Bread Uses Baking Soda, While Sourdough Uses Fermentation
Basically, the soda bread is able to rise due to the baking soda, while the sourdough bread is able to rise due to natural yeast.
A more in-depth explanation is this:
The main difference between the two types of bread is that soda bread uses baking soda as a raising agent, while sourdough bread relies on fermentation and the natural yeast found in flour.
When the baking soda is combined with the acids found in buttermilk, they produce a chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide gas, which will help the dough rise.
Sourdough bread is made using a starter that underwent fermentation. During the fermentation process, the organisms naturally found in flour digest the starches in the dough and produce lactic acid and carbon dioxide.
2. Sourdough Needs Water, Soda Bread Uses Buttermilk
This difference is important both for the rising process and the taste and texture of the bread.
Buttermilk contains acids that activate the baking soda, which makes the bread rise. The water in the sourdough serves as a solvent and dispersing agent, which basically means that it allows the yeast in the flour to prosper and do its job.
And of course, there is a huge difference in taste and texture between buttermilk and water. Buttermilk has a creamy texture and a buttery taste, while water has no special texture and is tasteless.
3. Soda Bread Is Denser Than Sourdough Bread
Due to the different reactions, and their intensity, soda bread doesn’t release as much gas while it’s baking, so its texture won’t be as aerated as that of the sourdough bread.
4. Sourdough Bread Uses a Starter
Sourdough bread can’t be made without a starter. A starter is basically fermented flour and water. The starter contains naturally developed yeast that makes the sourdough bread rise.
On the other hand, soda bread doesn’t need any kind of starter. You just put the ingredients in a bowl, mix them really well, let it rise and that’s it.
And this brings us to the next difference.
5. Soda Bread is Faster to Make
Soda bread can be made in less than an hour in total, while sourdough bread has to go through multiple stages before it’s ready, and some of those steps will take hours. And this is without counting the time that the starter needs to be ready, which is usually at least one week.
As for the baking time, there is no significant difference, but the time it takes up until you get to baking couldn’t be any more different.
6. Sourdough Bread Is More Complicated to Make
A lot of great foods need a long time to be ready, but in most cases, you simply leave them in the oven for a long time. This is not the case with sourdough bread. When making sourdough you need to mix, fold leave the dough to rest, then fold again, then leave it to ferment, and then fold it some more, or at least this is what I do with my sourdough, some recipes might be simpler, but all of them will require at least some amount of what I just described.
While there are some bread recipes out there that are even more complicated than sourdough bread, right now I am comparing sourdough bread with soda bread. And between the two of them, sourdough is a lot more complicated to make than soda bread.
7. Soda Bread Tastes Sweeter
As the name implies sourdough bread tastes sour, while soda bread has a buttery taste.
The sourness of the sourdough bread comes from the bacteria in the culture, lactobacilli, emit lactic acid as a waste product of their metabolism, making the dough acidic and sour.
And the buttery taste of the soda bread comes from the buttermilk.
8. Sourdough Bread Is Healthier
The process that the sourdough goes through in order to rise, namely the fermentation process, has a multitude of benefits that no other bread has, here are just a few of them:
Less Sugar – The good bacteria that live in the sourdough starter needs to eat in order to survive, and luckily for us those bacteria eat the sugar that is naturally found in flour. By doing this they significantly reduce the glycemic index of the bread, which is always a good thing.
Easier to Digest – When those bacteria eat, they can’t only bite the sugar and leave everything as it is, they eat everything that they find and only process the sugar. So basically the bacteria have already partially digested bread so it will be easier for us to digest it.
More Nutrients – When the bread is predigested by the bacteria, they basically break down the flour and gluten, and when they are broken down they are not only easier to digest, but they are also able to release more nutrients.
9. They Use Different Types of Flour
While technically you can make both of them with any kind of flour, some types of flour are better for soda bread than others, and the same applies to sourdough bread.
Soda bread is usually made with softer flour, like pastry flour or all-purpose flour. Those types of flour usually have a relatively low gluten content and are commonly used in most households.
Sourdough is usually made with harder wheat varieties that are not as refined as the ones used for soda bread. This is because gluten is very important for the rise of the bread and the fermentation process. Also, the rise of the bread is caused by the natural yeast found in flour and the bacteria that live in it. Most flours undergo a bleaching process that kills most of those good bacteria, and without enough bacteria, you can’t make a proper sourdough bread.
Which Is Better for You Sourdough Bread or Soda Bread?
As you can see there are a lot of fundamental differences between the two types of bread, starting with the way you make them and ending with their texture and how they taste. But despite this, it’s quite easy to answer this question.
If you want healthier bread you should make sourdough bread.
If you want a quick bread you should make soda bread.
This is basically what it comes down to. While sourdough bread is healthier it will take a while to make one, and you will need to take care of the starter daily. While feeding the starter only requires 2 or 3 minutes, some people don’t have that kind of time.
If you want to make a loaf of bread right now your only choice is to make soda bread, as it takes about one hour in total. While soda bread is not as healthy as sourdough bread, it’s not unhealthy bread, it’s just not as healthy as sourdough.
Combining Sourdough and Soda Bread
As we discussed, both of them are quite different, but strangely enough, they can be combined in a super healthy and quick type of bread, and that bread is called Sourdough Soda Bread.
This bread will have most of the benefits of a sourdough bread and it will be just as quick as soda bread.
To make this bread you will need sourdough discard. Sourdough discard is the part of the starter that you discard when you are feeding the starter (adding flour and water).
Here is the recipe for Sourdough Soda Bread:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unfed sourdough starter discard
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2-3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a bowl whisk together the starter, egg, butter, and buttermilk.
- In another bowl whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together to form a sticky dough. (If it’s too dry and crumbly add more buttermilk, if it’s too sticky add some more flour)
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it two or three times.
- Lightly flour the prepared baking sheet and place the ball of dough in the center.
- Cut a deep “X” in the dough (the cuts should go at least 1/3 the way through the dough).
- Brush the top of the dough with buttermilk.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. (time can vary depending on the oven)
- Let it cool for 20 minutes before cutting.
And there you have it, a Sourdough Soda Bread, a bread that combines the healthy parts of sourdough bread and the quickness of the soda bread.
But as you can imagine this combination is not exactly perfect. Since you still need the sourdough discarded, you still need to make the sourdough starter which can take a lot of time. And despite using sourdough in the recipe, you haven’t let the bread rise so the starter couldn’t do his work completely.
But if you have a sourdough starter in your home I would definitely suggest you try this recipe, it has a great and unique taste, it’s easy to make, and very fast.
Final Thoughts
Sourdough bread and soda bread are two extremely different types of bread. One of them is very healthy but requires a very long time to make, and the other is not as healthy, but it can be ready in one hour.
As I said, soda bread is not unhealthy but you just can’t compare it with sourdough. But making sourdough bread is not for everyone as it requires daily care, even if you are not making bread at that time.
But in the end, I would say that the most distinct and important thing about each one is their taste and their texture, which are very different. So try making both of them, and maybe combine them as well and see which one you like.