Soda Bread
500g (2 1/2 cups) plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (what we call baking soda)
1 tsp salt
400 ml (13.5 oz) buttermilk
I didn't have quite enough buttermilk so I used some regular milk.
1. Heat (we would say preheat) your oven to 200º C (395º F) and line a baking tray (cookie sheet) with baking parchment (we say parchment paper) or silicone paper. I used parchment.
2. Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well, then stir in the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it quickly into a ball. Flatten the ball a little with your hand.
3. Put the dough on the baking tray. Mark it into quarters, cutting deeply through the bread, almost but not quite through to the base. Dust with a little flour.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the loaf is cooked through - it should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the base. Leave it to cool on a wire rack. Soda bread is best eaten within a day of baking. It freezes well.
It looks pretty darn good! But I could hear Paul telling me I could have baked it just a wee bit longer. Though the picture below is blurry, you might be able to see it is a touch underdone.
Also, instead of an all-purpose flour, which I think is the equivalent to what the British call "plain", I used what I've learned from GBBO, is "strong flour."
I guess I just assumed this would be right. Next time I might try the all-purpose, or part all-purpose. Also, he says you can use half wholemeal (whole wheat) which I will definitely do next time, though I wanted to make it his way the first time. And yes, I will make it again. It was so quick and easy and really delicious, even if it could have used maybe 5 minutes more in the oven.
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