Recipe: Soda bread

Ingredients

225g malted granary flour
225g plain flour
10ml (2 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
5ml (1 tsp) salt
30g butter at room temperature (and a little extra for greasing the baking sheet)
250ml milk
250ml plain yoghurt
25ml (2 tbsp) malt extract
Seeds to sprinkle on top (I use sesame seeds and linseed)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease the baking sheet with some butter.

2. Sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into the largest mixing bowl that you have. Add the malted granary flour and mix it in. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients, using the fingertips.

3. Whisk together the milk, yoghurt and malt extract. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk mixture.

4. Now you need to work as quickly and lightly as possible. With a round bladed knife, work the liquid into the flour and then with the hands blend the ingredients together. As soon as you have a dough that is soft (and still sticky) tip it onto a lightly floured surface.

5. Shape the dough into a round of about 20cm diameter and about 3-4cm thick, without actually kneading it. The less it is handled the lighter the bread will be. Lift the bread onto the baking sheet, reshaping if necessary. Cut a deep cross in the top and sprinkle with seeds.

6. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until the bread is golden. To check if it is cooked; tap it on the bottom and it will sound hollow when ready.

7. Cool on a wire rack. For a crisp crust, leave the bread uncovered. For a soft crust wrap the bread in a slightly damp tea-towel.

8. This is best served very fresh from the oven, while it is still warm. Traditionally, it is broken into quarters and then sliced.

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