Summer Harvest Recipes

This traditional Irish recipe produces a wonderful loaf, but it does need to be eaten quickly. Soda bread tends to go dry and crumbly very rapidly. As it is so delicious, this is usually not a problem.

2 cups, whole meal flour

2 cups, all-purpose white flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

7/8 pt. Buttermilk (or a mixture of 2/3 live yogurt and 1/3 water, if buttermilk is unavailable)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg and buttermilk (or yogurt and water) into the dry mixture. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead thoroughly until the mixture is smooth. Shape the dough into a couple of round shapes and place on a lightly oiled baking tray or lightly oiled loaf tins. The round shape is more than traditional, but be sure to incise a deep cross into the dough to represent the four main festivals of the Celtic calendar (it also helps the loaf to rise evenly).

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C/gas mark 5) for between 40 and 45 minutes. For a softer crust, wrap the loaf in a clean towel after it has cooled.

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