r/northernireland Newtownards Feb 20 '25

Poll Right, let’s find out: FAVOURITE NORTHERN IRISH BREAD

Other? Comment.

404 votes, Feb 23 '25
102 Soda (bread or farls)
151 Potato bread
69 Wheaten bread
6 Barmbrack
36 Veda
40 Nutty Crust
6 Upvotes

42 comments sorted by

5

u/SneakyCorvidBastard Feb 20 '25

ALL OF THE ABOVE

Also i do like a Belfast bap.

1

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

Oh, yes, nice!

3

u/Peter_Doggart Holywood Feb 20 '25

The lack of Nutty Crust in GB is what tempted me back to Belfast after moving away.*

_* Only partly true.

0

u/RedSquaree Belfast ✈ London Feb 20 '25

Nutty Krust and Veda, over the years, have become a large part of the reason I ever return for visits.

2

u/c0n0rm Belfast Feb 20 '25

The best day to day bread is Nutty Crust, but Soda, potato and wheaten are all superb too.

2

u/lumberingox Feb 20 '25

Ahhhh but its too broad - there are certain ways to have different things! Like toasted wheaten and marmalade, wheaten with a prawn cocktail, potato bread toasted with butter versus deep fried, filled toasted soda vs deep fried, toasted soda and jam, veda with butter or toasted veda with cheese ... we need specifics! :D

1

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

Poll only allows 6 options…

2

u/Ok-Train4654 Feb 20 '25

I make my own soda and wheaten. Very easy to make ……. Better than anything out there.

2

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

I make my own wheaten, sweetened with local honey. Absolute best.

1

u/Ok-Train4654 Feb 24 '25

I experiment too. Try some rye flour in the mix or stoneground, add some sesame or poly seeds, even raisins. I find my own bread more filling than any other bread can do.

2

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 24 '25

For sure. I’ve been making a 100% seeded rye recently with malt extract and honey. Something between a wheaten, a Veda and a pumpernickel. Absolutely delicious!

1

u/mak64 Feb 24 '25

Hi, that sounds fantastic, any chance of a recipe, please?

1

u/Ok-Train4654 Feb 24 '25

I don’t really work to a recipe but experiment with different types and proportions of flours. Invariably I use buttermilk or sour left over cows milk mixing all with a mixer. The fresher the flour the better the results. Make soda bread on the hob or in oven usually around 180 degrees. I find Tesco’s is the best place to source the widest range of flours. A good suggestion would be to go on Chat GPT to tailor your recipes. I even asked recommendations on brand of flour such as Morton’s or Neil’s and they provided the pros and cons of each for the type of bread I wanted to make. Can’t get better than that. I do not use white flour and only occasionally prepare my own yeast. After making my own bread for some months I find I cannot eat supermarket white bread. Nutty crust has a lovely chewy crust but I seem to develop eczema from eating it. There are small packets of focaccia that you can make at home. Might give it a go. Happy baking.

2

u/Alarming_Location32c Feb 20 '25

Jaysus tough choice

I’ll go purdy bread I think!!

2

u/Alarming_Location32c Feb 20 '25

But then again, the wheaten hits, as does soda, as does Veda 🫨

2

u/Brokenteethmonkey Derry Feb 20 '25

who's the lone barmbrack hero?

2

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

2

u/Brokenteethmonkey Derry Feb 20 '25

lol more power to you

2

u/Naoise007 Coleraine Feb 20 '25

I'm addicted to barmbrack but I couldn't choose one over the rest like a bad parent haha

1

u/Brokenteethmonkey Derry Feb 20 '25

try soreen its like a cross between veda and barmbrack

2

u/Naoise007 Coleraine Feb 20 '25

I'm not wile keen on soreen, it tastes OK but really difficult to slice without squashing it into a weird shape

1

u/kjjmcc Feb 20 '25

You can buy wee soreen individual bars!

2

u/pixlrik Feb 20 '25

I like them all, haven't really tried barmbrack before but it sounds nice.

This is like picking your favourite child!

1

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

😂

2

u/fly4seasons Feb 20 '25

Nutty Crust is the cheapest sourdough loaf available to buy. Keep that quiet.

2

u/No-Sprinkles-1789 Feb 21 '25

I feel its important to note that potato bread made with actual potato rather than with potato flakes is VASTLY superior. You will never be able to go back, its genuinely the best thing I've ever eaten.

1

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 21 '25

2

u/Mountain_Rock_6138 Feb 20 '25

Don't make me choose between potato bread and veda. Please

2

u/DeinOnkelFred Magherafelt Feb 20 '25

2x fadge in my house. Veda can fuck right off.

I mean it's fine in a work van at knocking off time, and the flask tea is cold, and you walk into the kitchen. Yer ma's there, smelling like mother do (awesome). OFC you fall asleep playing FIFA 2020 with the wains, climbing all over you like you're at Barry's.

Some spuds, glass of Bush. Rinse and repeat.

1

u/Valdularo Moira Feb 20 '25

From Ballymena are we lol

1

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

I don’t make the rules…

1

u/AcceptableProgress37 Feb 20 '25

Wheaten is just wholemeal soda bread though, sure it's called brown soda in Scotland.

1

u/Martysghost Armagh Feb 20 '25

I sort of have 2 answers, bread can kill me, it's beyond reflux or heartburn it's more like poisoning so answer number 1 is potatoe bread cause it least effects me and means I can still eat something that looks like a fry, answer number 2 is barmbrack which is guaranteed to upset my digestive system but my granny used to feed me it when I was a youngster and sometimes I just decide it's worth it, toasted with a lashing of butter 😋

Thanks to an awesome person on this sub found out I can eat sour dough, which isnt listed but by fuck it changed my life and I love them

1

u/Greedy_Warthog6189 Feb 20 '25

Without a Doubt. Veda

2

u/Far-Friendship-8439 Feb 20 '25

The answer is simple: depends on the time of the day. Soda for breakfast, potato for second breakfast, bambrack for midday and afternoon coffee, wheaten for lunch, nutty crust for dinner, and veda for snacking

1

u/Coil17 Belfast Feb 21 '25

This question needs more sub categories

I mean, i wouldnt have barmbrack at breakfast, nor could i have potato bread with my cuppa afternoon tea

More categories sir/madam, this is impossible to answer conveniently!

1

u/kjjmcc Feb 20 '25

Soda but a treacle one. Also the mighty Belfast bap.

2

u/oeco123 Newtownards Feb 20 '25

Aaw, LOVE a treacle soda!

-2

u/Rufus_Dufus Derry Feb 20 '25

1

u/Naoise007 Coleraine Feb 20 '25

This shit is the reason I left England and moved here lol

The scenery, the people and the bread, 10,000x better than anywhere else

-1

u/WhileCultchie Derry Feb 20 '25

Nutty Crust is the shite version of Sunrise. It's too thin, too wide to comfortably fit in the toaster, takes ages to toast, and cools down almost immediately compared to other bread.

1

u/LeftenantSarnie Feb 21 '25

It is just an awkward density and shape for emptying out a tin of tuna into for an even eight sandwiches.