For most of history, bread meant yeast or sourdough and hours of rising. That changed in the nineteenth century, when chemical leaveners, first baking soda and later baking powder, became widely available. Suddenly cooks could make light, tender bread in minutes. The quick breads that grew out of that change are still with us: soda bread, biscuits and cornbread among them. Here is their story and how to make each.
How chemical leavening changed baking
Quick breads rise because of a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) needs an acid to react with, traditionally buttermilk or sour milk. Baking powder, which combines soda with a dry acid, came later in the nineteenth century and only needs moisture and heat. These products made baking faster and more predictable, especially for households without time to tend yeast doughs or without reliable ovens.
Soda bread
Soda bread is strongly associated with Ireland, where soft wheat flour, buttermilk and baking soda made a practical everyday loaf that could be baked in a pot over an open hearth. The traditional version is very simple: flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. The cross cut into the top helps the dense dough bake through.
Basic method
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Mix 4 cups (about 500 g) flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Stir in about 1 3/4 cups buttermilk to form a soft, shaggy dough; add more if dry.
- Shape gently into a round on a floured tray, cut a deep cross on top and bake for 30–40 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
Biscuits
In the American South, the soft, layered biscuit became a breakfast staple. Southern soft-wheat flour, cold fat (lard or butter) and buttermilk produced tender, flaky results. Before chemical leaveners, some cooks made "beaten biscuits," pounding the dough for a long time to work in air; baking soda and powder made light biscuits far easier.
Basic method
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Whisk 2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Cut in 6 tablespoons cold butter until the pieces are pea-sized.
- Stir in about 3/4 cup cold buttermilk just until combined. Pat out, fold over itself two or three times, then pat to about 3/4 inch thick.
- Cut straight down without twisting, place close together and bake for 12–15 minutes until golden.
Cornbread
Corn was a staple for Indigenous peoples of the Americas long before European settlement, and corn-based breads and cakes were adopted widely by settlers. In the South, cornbread is often baked in a hot, greased cast-iron skillet, giving it a crisp crust. Debates over whether cornbread should contain sugar or wheat flour continue to this day.
Basic method
- Put a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of fat in the oven and heat to 425°F (220°C).
- Mix 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour (optional), 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Whisk 1 1/2 cups buttermilk with 1 egg and 3 tablespoons melted butter, and stir into the dry ingredients.
- Pour into the hot skillet (it should sizzle) and bake 20–25 minutes until golden and set.
Tips for all quick breads
- Do not overmix. Stir just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
- Bake promptly. The leavening starts working as soon as liquid is added.
- Check your leaveners. Old baking soda and powder lose strength; replace them regularly.
For more on the pans these breads were baked in, see our history of cast-iron cookware, and read about older grains in heritage grain revival.
Gourmet Fade is an independent food-history and cooking site. Information is general and educational; follow current food-safety guidance for your kitchen.
Updated October 17, 2026.