Soda bread
Soda bread – serves 8
500g wholemeal or white plain flour
(or try a mixture depending on taste)
100g butter
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
284ml carton of butter milk (or milk with a squeeze of lemon juice works well)
4 tbsp milk
Method
- Heat the oven to 220c/gas mark 7. Lightly flour a baking tray. Tip the flour into a bowl, add the butter and rub it with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.
- Mix the buttermilk and milk in a jug, pour it into the flour mixture and mix to a soft dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball. Place the dough onto the floured baking tray and flatten slightly. Cut a deep cross on the top, cutting almost halfway through, but not completely.
- Bake for 23-30 minutes until the loaf has risen and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to a wire rack and serve warm or cold.
- Its best eaten the day it’s made, or you can freeze.