Soda bread

INGREDIENTS:

375g flour (wholemeal/white or a mix of both)

1 tsp bicarb of soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

300ml buttermilk

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 200°.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Make a well in the middle and pour in the buttermilk, mix with a spoon and then mould the bread into a ball, kneading a few times. Do this quickly as lactic acid in the buttermilk reacts with the bicarb instantly, producing carbon dioxide that aids the rising process.
4. Place the dough in a lined baking tin and flatten slightly.
5. Score the top of the bread with an ‘X’, cutting about ¾ down into the bread. This will allow the bread to expand while baking.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.