SODA BREAD

Good Morning to you,

On Wednesday, I shared with you my recipe for Chickpea Soup, see here for the recipe. So today, I thought it would be a good idea to show you a recipe for  soda bread.

Soda bread reminds me of the rustic Cypriot  bread which we used to buy at our local village bakery. I find this soda bread,   is the perfect accompaniment to any winter soup. It can be cut into neat slices or it can be pulled apart, ready to "dunk" into your soup.

Recipe adapted from 500 Fabulous Cakes and Bakes
from The Book People

I thought I would share this "warts and all" photo and   explain why the bread looks a little mis-shapen.

I had finished mixing the bread and was ready to start the  kneading process, when George returned from having a sauna.  We were chatting away and he was telling me about his morning, who he had met, family he had bumped into and finished by saying how hungry he was.

I said he would not have to wait long for his lunch as the bread was almost ready to go into the oven. As I was kneading the bread, I  started telling him about my morning. 

I continued kneading and was almost ready to cut a cross in the dough, when George started telling me another story. I was so busy listening to what George had to say, that when it came  to cutting the cross in the dough,  I did not notice that I had inserted the knife far too deeply.   It wasn't until I took the bread  out of the oven that I realised what I had done... hence the look of the bread.  Please don't let this put you off as it is a delicious bread! That will teach me to concentrate, but then, I was having fun listening to George. The bread tastes delicious, no matter how it looks, so I thought it really didn't matter, after all it is home baking! As a  home baker, I think it is important to highlight  what can go wrong. By doing this, you can avoid the same pitfalls.

INGREDIENTS

Makes one loaf

275g/10oz/2 1/2 cups plain flour

150g/5oz/1 cup wholemeal flour
(I used Country Grain flour)

5ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

5ml/1 tsp salt

25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter at room temperature

300ml/1/2 pint/1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

Butter a baking sheet

Sift together the flours, bicarbonate of soda

and salt.

  

Make a well in the centre and add the

butter and buttermilk.

 

Working from the centre, stir to combine

the ingredients until a soft dough is formed.

 With floured hands, gather the dough into a ball.

Knead for 3 minutes.

Shape the dough into a round.

Place on a baking sheet.

Cut a cross in the top with a sharp knife.

(Notice how far I cut my cross,

remember I made the cross too big,

so cut yours smaller)



Bake until brown, about 40-50 minutes

I found my bread took 50 minutes to bake.

Now this is the naughty bit.

Remember earlier, I said the soda bread was a perfect accompaniment to soup, well, that still stands true, but, do you ever have a "sweet" moment, where nothing but something sweet will satisfy you. I'm afraid to say that happened to me. We cut the bread. I was supposed to sit down with George and eat Chicken and Vegetable soup see here for the recipe, but instead, I sat down, sliced the soda bread,                    

......and I ate a slice, slathered in butter and with a lovely layer of homemade  jam.....oops!

....and I was a very happy lady!

Don't worry, I ate the soup for my supper!

This week I will be joining,

Kathryn at The Dedicated House

Kim at Savvy Southern Style

Karen at Sew Many Ways

Have a lovely day and I will see you later in the week.