This is an irish recipe for soda bread. There is no sugar and no oil. If you use all white flour, 1/2 tsp breadsoda (bicarbonate of soda is enough; for a mixture you need about 3/4 tsp. The reaction of the alkali (bread soda) and the acid (buttermilk/sour milk) helps the bread to rise. When I am baking this bread, I bag the dry ingredients for about 4 loaves of bread at a time. Then when I want to make the bread I just add milk and a dash of vinegar. I never knead the bread. It doe sneed to go into the oven fairly quickly, else the bread won't rise properly). All measurements in old money I'm afraid.
Ingredients:
12 oz white flour
4 oz stoneground wholemeal flour
pinch of salt
3/4 tsp bread soda
about 15 fl oz sour milk (I use a dash of vinegar in ordinary milk - whatever kind you have to hand)
Method:
Mix the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre.
Pour in most of the milk and mix. Keep adding the milk until all the flour is moist. I think there is a better texture when it is more than a little moist, but it should not be anywhere near wet. Sorry I can't describe it better than that)
Chuck it into a lined loaf tin. I use a 2 lb loaf tin. A 7 ins round tin is also suitable
My oven: bake for 35/ mins at 170 degrees celsius. It's baked when the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
That's the basic recipe and you can experiment to your heart's content when you get that. Really easy. I've started adding a pinch of oatflakes and a pinch of pumpkin seeds to the mix and I put a few pumpkin seeds on the top as well.
Enjoy!
