SODA BREAD

The best soda bread in the world is made in Ireland and this loaf feels like you’re being hugged by a Galway granny. It’s just about the quickest bread you can bake. At its most basic, you just need plain flour and bicarbonate of soda. The bicarb starts doing its work as soon as you’ve mixed it with liquid, so speed is important. It can be messy but there’s no kneading required.

Preparation 20 minutes Cooking 45 minutes Makes 1 loaf 250G PLAIN FLOUR

250G WHOLEMEAL FLOUR

50G OATS (ANY TYPE WORKS — JUMBO, ROLLED, PORRIDGE ETC)

1 TSP BICARBONATE OF SODA

10G FINE SEA SALT

1 TBSP SESAME SEEDS (OPTIONAL)

420ML BUTTERMILK (OR 420ML WHOLE MILK AND 1 TBSP LEMON JUICE WHISKED TOGETHER AND LEFT TO CURDLE SLIGHTLY FOR 5 MINUTES) 1 TBSP BLACK TREACLE (OPTIONAL)

1 Preheat the oven to 200ºc (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2 Sift both the flours into a large mixing bowl and then add the oats, bicarb, salt and sesame seeds (if using). Make a small well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk and black treacle (if using). Stir until there are no visible patches of dry flour but don’t over-mix.

3 Scoop your dough out onto a lightly floured worksurface and shape into a round. It’s sticky, so you may want to coat your hands in flour or use a welldusted dough scraper. Transfer the dough onto the lined baking tray. Using a sharp knife, cut the traditional deep cross 5cm into the base of the loaf.

4 Bake in the hot oven for 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.