SODA BREAD
That you can make a bread – a whole boule of a thing – without having to tackle yeast is a reassuring thought to take through life. Some of my earliest yeast endeavours were spectacular in their badness. I’ll never unsee the flaccid croissants that slid from their slimy tray straight into the bin (or un-smell the acrid butter smoke that filled my home). And I’ll never forget the small, brownish rings that were mine and my friend Jean’s attempt at bagels. We blamed the instructions and went out for a drink: German white wine with good acidity and notes of bitter disappointment. Soda bread, though – it’s affable. It’s eager to rise for you. You can drink German wine while you make it!
250g (heaped 1¾ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
250g (1¾ cups) wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp fine sea salt
400-450ml (1¾-2 cups) buttermilk
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper. This dough is going to come together quickly and when it does, you don’t have time to mess around, so let the oven come up to temperature before you do anything else.
2. Put the flours, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and mix with a fork. Make a well in the middle, then pour 300ml (1¼ cups) of the buttermilk into the well and use the fork to gradually draw the flour into the buttermilk. Add the rest of the buttermilk into the middle of the mess a bit at a time (you might not need it all – you’re aiming for a dough that’s soft but not sticky). Make a claw with your hand and use that claw to bring the dough together.
3. Now, I don’t want you to alarm you, but science is happening – the buttermilk is reacting with the baking soda to get this loaf rising. You’ve just about got time to fix up your ball of dough, so spend a few seconds shaping it with floury hands. Put the ball of dough on your prepared baking tray, flatten it slightly, and use a sharp knife to mark a cross – go deep but don’t hit rock bottom (a metaphor for life).
4. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. When it looks loaf-like (well-risen and golden brown), turn it over and give it a tap. It should sound hollow.
5. Eat your soda bread quickly, ideally with a) salted butter, b) lentil soup or c) scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.