Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread has to be one of the easiest breads to make. No yeast, no rising time and hardly any kneading time - this is the kind of bread anyone can make. It's the perfect recipe for when you're craving a slice of fresh-from-the-oven bread with soft, golden butter. You can satisfy your craving in only 45 minutes!

I think I may have cut the cross a bit too deep on my loaf and it ended up looking more like a baked potato. 

This loaf is wonderfully soft on the inside and gorgeously crunchy on the outside. 

This recipe is from the BBC Food website and makes enough for about four portions.

Ingredients

170g self-raising flour

170g wholemeal flour

1/2tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

290ml buttermilk

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and mix both the flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda together.

2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Stir together quickly until you have a soft dough. (If your dough seems a little stiff, just add some more buttermilk).

3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 2 minutes. Form the dough into a round shape and flatten it slightly before placing it on a lightly floured baking sheet.

4. Cut a cross on the top and bake for around 30 minutes or until it turns a golden-brown colour. Cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.