This bread recipe is so easy.​

See below for variations, including substitutions eg for buttermilk

@Littleboy8 @vegiepatch

recipe by recipetineats

Ingredients​

• 2 cups white flour plain
• 1 3/4 cups wholemeal flour ( or more plain flour )
• 2 – 3 tbsp Extra Flour ( for dusting
• 1 1/2 tspbi-carb
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups buttermilk , or substitute see below

Instructions​

• Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan).
• Line tray with baking paper.
• Whisk both flours (not Extra Flour), baking soda and salt in a bowl.
• Add buttermilk, stir until it’s too hard to stir anymore.
• Sprinkle 2 tbsp Extra Flour onto work surface, scrape out dough, sprinkle with more flour.
• Gently knead no more than 8 times, bring together into a ball. (Note 4)
• Transfer to tray, pat into 2.5cm/1″ thick disc.
• Cut cross on surface 1cm / 0.3″ deep using serrated knife.
• Bake 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
• Bake further 20 minutes, or until the base sounds hollow when tapped in the middle.
• Transfer to rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes:​

1. Flour– wholemeal flour gives this bread a slightly nutty flavour which is lovely. Coarse or fine ground. Can be made with just plain/all purpose flour but flavour is more plain. Don’t bother using bread flour – it’s wasted on this no yeast bread.

2. Bi -carb soda– bicarbonate soda (bi-carb), 3x more powerful than baking powder. Stronger rise power required for this no-yeast bread.

3. Buttermilk substitute:

• 1.75 cups (435ml) + 1 tbsp of full fat milk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice (or other clear vinegar)
• Mix the milk and lemon juice together, set aside for 15 minutes. It will congeal on surface. Then use in place of buttermilk in recipe.
• Volume is just shy of 2 cups of buttermilk (per recipe) because this substitute is thinner so you need to use a touch less otherwise dough gets too wet.

4. Dough stickiness– use more flour as required. The trick is to use just enough flour to make the dough manageable because stickier dough = more moist bread.

5. Variations – This bread is terrific as is, it’s a classic traditional Irish Soda Bread. Some popular flavoured versions (stir in with dry ingredients):

• Oats – brush surface with extra buttermilk and sprinkle with oats. Can also mix in oats (up to 1 cup), but reduce flour in dough by 1/2 cup;
• Raisins! Stir in 1 cup
• Seeds! Pumpkin, linseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppyseed. Stir through and sprinkle on top, about 1/2 cup.

6. Serving – Especially great served warm! Use like normal bread – sandwiches, dunking, mopping plates clean, toasting, grilled cheese.

7. Storage – keeps well for 3 days in an airtight container, 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Or freeze it for months!

 

[Suzanne rose]

Bumping this recipe up
I'm adding soup and casserole recipes and this bread is so easy and is delicious with soups n casseroles

 

[TrishH]

Is there something missing in the buttermilk substitute Suzanne?
1.75 cups of ?

 

[Suzanne rose]

Is there something missing in the buttermilk substitute Suzanne?
1.75 cups of ?

Nope it says it 1.75 cups which is 435mls plus 1 tablespoon of milk so 435mls and 1 tablespoon of milk.

Not sure why original recipe didn't just say 450 mls.
I think she wanted to give it in cups as well . Which really is 1 3/4 cups