250g spelt flour or wholemeal flour
250g plain white flour
25g butter
5g ( level teaspoon) sea salt
3g ( half level teaspoon ) baking powder
5g ( level teaspoon ) bicarbonate of soda
450 to 550mls buttermilk ( at room temperature) or soured milk ( see note)
Oats and seeds ( optional )
Baking tin 23cm round or a baking tray brushed with vegetable oil and lightly dusted with flour.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade
Note: to make soured milk add juice from half a lemon about 3 teaspoons to 500g fresh whole milk. Leave for a couple of minutes stir and its ready to use.
Method
- Put flours, salt, baking powder and soda bicarbonate into a mixing bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour .
- Add the buttermilk and mix by hand to a soft dough making sure there is no dry flour left in the bowl. Add more milk if you need to.
- Place the dough onto a floured work surface and shape gently into a round shape.
- Put into a floured round tin or on a baking tray
- Press the dough with your hand until dough thickness is 2-3cm.
- Cut a cross into the dough with a knife.
- Brush the top of the soda bread with some of the buttermilk and sprinkle with oats or seeds of your choice. Leave to rest in tin for 5 minutes.
- Bake in the pre- heated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove bread from the tin and tap the underneath of the bread with your hand the bread should sound hollow when baked. If the bread sounds dull put back in oven for another 5 minutes.
- Remove baked bread from tin and cool on wire tray.
- The bread will keep for a couple of days.
- Great to have with soup or for an open sandwich.
- Can be toasted or to be naughty, fried in butter.
Note: You can also just use plain white four , add fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes , olives and olive oil instead of butter.
Another option grated carrot and sultanas.
Also Grated cheese, walnuts and grated eating apple is a nice combination. Just see what’s in your cupboard and have fun baking.