Back up to Dave's Home PageMost bread originating in the northern part of Ireland is made with two key ingredients, i.e. buttermilk and soda bread flour. See the ingredients page for details.
This recipe is primarily Irish/Ulster in origin, but I have tried to give North American Equivalents where possible.
This is my mum's recipe, and it
is absolutely delicious on the day of baking. Hopefully you can
wait long enough for it to cool so that you can cut it without
it falling apart ! Serve with butter (no margarine substitutes,
natural is best!) with raspberry jam (jelly) or pate or simply
on its own (my kid's adore it that way!) :
Ingredients :
2 Cups of course or medium wheatmeal flour
2 Cups of Soda Bread flour (see ingredients for substitute)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¾ - 1 pint Buttermilk (see
ingredients
for substitute)
Grease, flour and line the bottom
of two 1lb loaf tins.
Put the wheatmeal flour in a large
baking bowl, and sieve in the remaining dry ingredients. With
your hand, make a well in the centre, and add the buttermilk.
Mix in with a knife until a fairly soft consistency is reached.
Add air by stirring firmly for a few seconds. Pour (it should
not really be quite a pouring consistency, but you know what I
mean!) into the loaf tins, sprinkle with some wheatmeal flour (and
bran if you like) and flatten, making a small dent along the centre of the loaf
with the back of your knuckles.
Bake at 160oC - 165oC (i.e. 320oF - 330oF) for about ½ hour. A properly cooked loaf will sound boast (hollow) when tapped with your fingers.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 - 10 minutes before turning it out on a cooling tray and removing the paper from the bottom. Enjoy !