This is yet another Irish soda bread recipe, and the one I make most often. It’s very forgiving of ingredients and mix, but here’s how I did it today. If you have milk or cream that’s gone over, use that. Or yoghurt is fine too (plain, not fruit, obviously, unless you like weird flavoured bread!).

The flour mix is up to you, but more brown than white works best, and sometimes I add some pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

350g wholemeal flour (I accidentally used brown today, but it’ll b e fine)
125g strong white flour
100g porage oats
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder.

Mix the above ingredients together. I use a food mixer, sometimes with the dough hook, sometimes with the beater. Either is fine. Then add:

1 large egg
1 tbsp olive oil
280ml of buttermilk or equivalent (see above)

I don’t bother mixing these together, I just bung them all into the dry ingredients. And I couldn’t really tell you if 280ml is the right amount, because I’ve been making soda bread since I was a girl, and I don’t measure the liquid. You want a mix that is stiff, and add the liquid *slowly*, because it can turn all of a sudden into a gloopy mess that sticks to everything.

On a floured surface, shape it into a ball, and cut a cross into the top. My Irish grandma always said it was to keep the devil out, but she was a devout Roman Catholic, so who know …

Bake at 200C for 10 minutes, then 190C for 30 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. I do mine in the Remoska for about 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. I can tell you that this bread makes gorgeous toast.

Serves 6

	calories	carbs	fat	protein
Per Serving:	413	67	9	15
total	2476	404	51	88