SODA RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
  2. Place the flours, oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and 1 teaspoon of sea salt in a large bowl and mix together.
  3. In a separate bowl, use a balloon whisk to beat the egg and buttermilk together.
  4. Use a fork to stir the egg mixture into the flour, then as it starts to come together, use your hands to pat and bring the dough together.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball and place onto a lightly floured baking tray. Use your hands to flatten the dough slightly so you end up with a disk, roughly 6 to 7cm thick.
  6. Score a cross into the top of the bread with the blunt edge of a knife, then bake in the centre of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a firm crust has formed and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  7. Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool, then serve slightly warm with some soup or a nice wedge of cheese.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
• Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
• Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices – or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.