Sadly this was not a family favourite. The loaf was very dense, a bit crumbly and didn't rise - so that extra bicarb most certainly was necessary.
I wouldn't associate this lack of success with the recipe though - it just shows that you can't substitute silken tofu and cornflour for egg, and possibly that using wholemeal SRF is also not the best adaption in this one either.
It would be good to remake it using the proper ingredients and see the comparison.