It's time to do some self-isolating baking this weekend with this healthy and easy to make Soda Bread. (My wife is from Northern Ireland and insists it's called Wheaten Bread.)
This is probably the easiest loaf of bread you will ever make, with ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
No kneading or proving, just mix the ingredients, put them into a loaf tin and pop in the oven. If you don't have a loaf tin, just shape the bread into a round shape and cook on a baking tray.
In less than an hour you will have a great tasting, wholesome loaf of bread. Perfect with soup, cheese, smoked salmon or toasted with marmalade. In fact it's great with just about anything.
I've used half wholemeal flour and half white flour for this recipe, but you can use all wholemeal,
A quick mention on buttermilk.
Although you can usually buy buttermilk in supermarkets, if you're avoiding them or if they're out of stock, buttermilk is really easy to make at home.
Just put a squeeze of lemon juice into a jug of milk, wait 5 minutes, and when the milk has curdled a little and thickened slightly, it is ready to use and I think is as good as the bought stuff.
Try and use a dark brown ale if you can. You can still make a fantastic loaf using lager, but a brown ale seems to give a slightly deeper flavour.
Double the recipe to make a couple of loaves as I did, and stick one in the freezer.
So keep baking and stay busy and healthy during these unusual times.
INGREDIENTS 2lb loaf
360g wholemeal and plain white flour (180g each) 50g rolled oats ½ tsp salt 1 tsp bicarb of soda 200ml dark brown ale 200ml buttermilk 1 tbsp honey 40g butter, melted
METHOD
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a jug, then add to the dry ingredients in the bowl.
Stir well until the mixture looks like a cake batter - quite loose and wet.
Pour into a greased and floured 2lb loaf tin and lightly smooth the top. Sprinkle on a handful of oats..
Bake in a 200℃/180℃ oven for about 50 minutes until golden brown. Depending on your oven it may take a little longer to bake.
Cool on a wire rack and I recommend trying a slice with butter while warm.