Soda bread

Prep time:15 minutes

Cook time:30-40 minutes

Serves:8

Description:
Soda bread is quick and easy to make. This one seems to last longer than a 'normal' soda bread and I think this is because it contains oats which hold the moisture for longer. It's little crumbly and has a wonderful texture. It's a meal in itself when spread thickly with butter. It goes wonderfuly with a creamy cheese or home made pate and a green salad from the garden. This is adapted from an Irish Soda Bread recipe by Margaret Hickly

Ingredients:
250g plain white flour
250g plain wholemeal flour (I used some from the excellent townmill.org.uk in Lyme Regis)
100g porridge oats (the rougher the better I say!)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
25g butter , cut in pieces
500ml buttermilk substitute for 'normal' or soya milk if you don't have any.


Directions:Preheat the oven to 200c or use the top oven of your Rayburn/Aga. Dust a oven tray with lots of flour and put to one side. This will stop the bread from sticking. Mix all the dry ingredients together then rub in the butter.Add the buttermilk and use your fingers or a butter knife until it forms a dough. You may not need to use all the buttermilk. Place on the oven tray and cut a cross on the top with a sharp knife to alow the dough to cook all the way through. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when you tap it.
Smother in butter and eat!