Soda bread

Irish soda bread – Serves 6

Soda bread is raised with bicarbonate of soda producing carbon dioxide gas. You can add extras to this savoury bread – chopped cherry tomatoes, grated cheese, celery salt, mixed herbs – to add extra flavour.

Ingredients
80g self-raising flour
80g plain flour
½ level teaspoon (2g) salt
½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (2g)
100ml buttermilk or 100ml milk mixed with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar or vinegar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Lightly flour a baking tray.
2. Put the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl and stir.
3. Make a dent in the centre of the flour and pour in the buttermilk, or milk mixed with cream of tartar or vinegar. Mix quickly to form a soft dough.
4. Add less or more milk if the dough is not sticky enough.
5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead.
6. Shape into a round and flatten the dough slightly before placing on the baking tray.
7. Cut a cross on the top and bake for about 25 – 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
8. Cool on a cooling rack.