I just made the soda bread below today. It rose so nicely and was quite tender and delicious. The parchment peeled very easily from the soda bread.
REC: Irish soda bread from serious eats
Real Irish Soda Bread seriouseats dot com
15 ounces all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal (3 cups; 425g)
1 3/4 teaspoons (7g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use the same weight or half as much by volume
1 1/8 teaspoons (6g) baking soda (see note)
{1 scant cup raisins, optional}
18 ounces low-fat cultured buttermilk (2 1/4 cups; 510g), well shaken
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450°F (230°C) at least 15 minutes in advance. Roughly cover the bottom of a deep 10-inch cast iron or enameled Dutch oven with a sheet of parchment paper; no need to trim.
{I soaked about a scant cup of raisins for about 20 minutes in boiling water, drained them well and held to add to to the dough}
Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk a full minute to combine.
{I dumped in the damp raisins and poured over the buttermilk then continued}
Stir in buttermilk with a flexible spatula until dough is fully moistened and no pockets of flour remain. For extra-fluffy results, stop folding as soon as dough comes together. For extra-chewy results, fold dough about 20 seconds more. Scrape sticky dough into prepared Dutch oven and smooth with a spatula into a rough boule-like shape. Score deeply into quarters with a sharp knife or razor, cleaning the blade between each slice. {I cut very deeply here, hit the bottom of the pan a couple of times}
Cover and bake until well risen and golden, 45 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until chestnut brown, with an internal temperature of 210°F (99°C), 12 to 15 minutes longer. Invert onto a wire rack, discard parchment, turn right side up, and cool until crumb has set, about 30 minutes. Cut thick slices to accompany hearty soups and stews, or slice thinly for sandwiches. (This will be easier if bread is allowed to cool 2 hours more.) Store up to 24 hours in an airtight container and toast to freshen bread before serving.
Special Equipment
10-inch cast iron or enameled Dutch oven, wire rack
Notes
---For extra-fluffy bread with a craggy crust and a coarse, open grain (perfect for soaking up stews and sauces), handle the dough as briefly as possible. For an extra-chewy loaf with a glossy crust and a fine, even crumb (great for thinly sliced sandwich bread), stir and fold the dough about 20 seconds more.
---Unless your digital scale is exquisitely sensitive, measure the baking soda by volume; even an extra gram can produce an unpleasantly soapy loaf of bread.
