Quickie Bread
There are days when you have nothing left in the bread bin and desperate for some fresh bread, the weather’s terrible and going to the corner shop is out of the question. What do you do? Make this soda bread in no time at all.
This bread tastes wonderful a few minutes after baking and will not give you indigestion, like yeasted bread, because of its soda content. I usually serve this with homemade soups or cheese and pickles for lunch. It isn’t possible to make a conventional sandwich with it because of its crumbly texture, but once cool, it is ideal for an open sandwich. Soda bread needs to be eaten on the same day as baking, but this shouldn’t be a problem once you have tasted it, in our house it rarely cools before being gobbled up. The following recipe asks for buttermilk, which may be purchased in a carton from the supermarket, or you can make your own.
Recipe for basic soda bread in less than 30 mins
Ingredients
450 g Self raising flour
Level teaspoon salt
Level teaspoon baking powder
284 ml carton buttermilk or
285 ml of homemade buttermilk
Method
1.Preheat oven to 220oC , Gas mark 7.
2.Grease a baking tray with a little oil.
3.Sift flour, salt and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.
4.Stir in buttermilk and bind to a soft dough, mixture should be a little sticky, add a little more milk or water if mixture seems dry.
5.Form into a round and place on baking tray, cut across top of loaf making four sections.
6.Bake for 20-25 mins till golden brown.
Variations
Oaty soda bread.
This is the recipe I usually bake as it has the addition of health giving oats. Use 350g flour and 100g medium rolled oats. Other ingredients are same as the above, but in the method stir in the oats after sifting flour, salt and baking powder together. Finish method as basic recipe.
Cheese soda bread.
After mixing all dry ingredients add 50g of mature cheddar cheese to mixture before adding buttermilk. Continue as basic method.
You may also add fresh or dried herbs to the mixture. I like to add half a teaspoon of dried thyme or a teaspoon of fresh to recipe before mixing in the liquid ingredient.
Chopped sun-dried tomatoes or olives are another delicious addition, but be careful to drain all oil or brine from the ones in a jar.
