Irish Soda Bread

Back from Irland with this great recipe of my favourite Bread. Really love this brown bread with lightly salted butter or with Marmelade. Those ones was made in Ireland in a real wood fired oven...already miss this oven.

Irish Soda Bread

170g/6oz self-raising wholemeal flour

170g/6oz plain flour

½ tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

290ml/½ pint buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
 

2. Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more. 
3. Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel 
   (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices – or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.