Bread Bliss

I am really getting into bread making now. It has become such fun, finding recipes and then adding flavours which I know we'll enjoy.

My latest find is a whole-wheat soda bread - no yeast and very simple to make. You can use a bread tin, but I preferred to make it rustic looking, like you would expect in an old Irish farm kitchen. I added some extra crushed wheat, which makes it not only good to eat, but very healthy too.

This went perfectly with the pea soup. It is also great hot with lashings of butter!


Whole Wheat Soda Bread

2 Cups (500ml) Whole wheat Flour
1 Cup Brown bread Flour
1 Cup White bread Flour
½ Cup Crushed Wheat
Pinch of Salt
1 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1½ Cups of Buttermilk
60g Butter
1 Egg

Melt the butter over gentle heat.
In a separate bowl beat the egg into the buttermilk.
Beat in the butter.
In a large bowl, sift (as best you can) the dry ingredients together.
Stir in the buttermilk mixture.
If it is too dry add a little more buttermilk.
If you using a bread tin the mixture must be wet (pourable, not manageable by hand)
If you bake it like I, it is still soft, but you can still hold it gently.
Form the dough into a round about 7cm thick and 21cm round (don't measure please).
Make to slashes across the top.
Place in a pre-heated oven at 200˚C , on a pizza stone or terracotta tile and bake for about 50 - 55 minutes, until hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom.