Page 46 - Oundle Life May 2022

Get Baking...
SODA BREAD
A while ago now, I learned to make traditional Irish soda bread from Darina Allen
at Ballymaloe in Ireland. This simple and wholesome bread is made quickly and can be on the table to enjoy in less than 45 mins. It uses
a combination of wholemeal
and plain flour to give a rustic
texture and flavour without being too heavy. Soda bread uses bicarbonate of soda as the raising agent rather than yeast; it does not need to be kneaded and in fact the best soda bread is made with as little handling as possible.
INGREDIENTS
250g plain flour
250g wholemeal plain flour 1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1 1⁄2 tsp bicarb of soda
450g buttermilk or sour milk
METHOD
1. You will need a large baking sheet, lightly dusted with flour or lined. The AGA Cold Plain Shelf with a piece of Bake-o-Glide is ideal. Take a large mixing bowl and weigh in the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and mix together. Add the buttermilk or sour milk and
mix together briefly, using either a wooden spoon or your hand. No further kneading is required.
2. Tip the dough on to a floured surface and shape gently into a round, approximately 4cms thick. Make 2 cuts a little way into the dough to form a cross, prick the centre (to let the fairies out) and bake in the AGA roasting oven or conventional oven at 220C for 30 mins.
3. Cool and serve with butter, delicious with soup or with jam and a cup of tea. This bread is best enjoyed on the day it’s made; the day after it will benefit from being toasted.
Recipe from: Naomi Hansell
www.agaliving.com
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