Warm Beer Cold Soup: Bread from the Olde Country

Bread from the Olde Country

Today, I'm going to bake Soda Bread. This is an Irish bread that was popular with land-workers and peasants over the past few centuries. In last few years it has had a bit of a revival, especially, with celebrity endorsement in the form of Paul Rankins range of Irish breads.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes Elec: 220C Gas Mark: 8

Ingredients:

8oz of Strong White Bread Flour

4oz of Strong Brown Bread Flour

1tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda

2tsps of Salt

1tsp Sugar

1 Glug of Olive Oil

1tsp of Golden Syrup

250ml of Buttermilk

Method:

Put oven onto the required temperature. Weight your 8oz of white flour and 4oz of brown flour. Place them both into a good sized mixing bowl. Add all the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mix the ingredients vigourously with your clean hands. Continue to do this for several minutes until all the mixture is in one ball of dough and there is no dry ingredients left.
Once this is done place your ball of dough onto a clean floured work surface and sculpt into desired shape (this is usually a ball shape). Once completed score knife in a cross about 1cm thickness into the bread, as shown below. Place onto greased proof paper will a dusting of flour and place in oven.