Pat's Traditional Brown Soda Bread

• Servings

  8 PEOPLE

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups Doves Wholemeal Flour

• ½ cup Ballybrado Coarse Wholemeal Flour

• ½ cup Doves Plain White Flour

• ½ cup True Natural Goodness Wheat Bran

• 1 ½ tsp Dove's Farm Bicarbonate Soda

• 1 tsp True Natural goodness Fine Sea Salt

• 1 tbsp Biona Organic Blackstrap Molasses or treacle

• 1 tbsp Billington's Demerara Sugar

• 1 ¾ cups Butter Milk or you can use or milk with 1tbsp vinegar/lemon juice added

• OPTIONAL 1-2 tbsp True Natural Goodness Organic Omega Four Seed Mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200c fan 180c gas mark 6

2. Grease or line a 2 lb loaf tin with parchment paper or prepare a baking sheet for a round loaf.

3. Add the Molasses to the milk and let dissolve and mix well.

4. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.

5. Make a well in the centre and pour in most of the buttermilk.

6. Using a wooden spoon or hand mix quickly to form a light soft dough. Add more buttermilk if needed. The dough should not be too soft or too wet.Make a well in the centre and pour in most of the buttermilk.

7. For a Loaf Tin: Grease and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Transfer the dough into the tin and gently press it into shape using your fingertips lightly moistened with water. Smooth the top lightly.

8. For a Traditional Round Loaf: Lightly flour a worktop or board and turn the dough out onto it. Gently knead just enough to bring the dough together, then shape it into a round ball. Place it onto a floured baking tray and cut a deep cross in the top using a sharp knife.

9. Bake for about 50mins on the middle shelf, (the bottom should sound hollow to tap)

10. I like to take the loaf out of the tin and remove parchment paper but put it back in the over upside down for 8-10 mins. This allows the bread to dry out and become firmer with a nice crust.

11. Cover loosely and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy with your favourite butter/spread.