One of the most fun cooking things to do with the kids is baking, and near the top of that list is baking bread. This brown soda bread recipe (which I think we got from the back of a flour packet) is really easy, doesn't have loads of ingredients like other soda bread recipes and is quick as it doesn't need to prove.
The smell in the house when baking bread is amazing, and it's wonderful to eat when it's still a bit warm with some butter and jam.
Traditionally buttermilk is used. Buttermilk is a sour milk and the is more acidic than regular milk. Replacing buttermilk with regular milk won't work properly so you can either add lemon juice to regular milk (1tbsp lemon to 1/2 pint milk) or mix plain yoghurt with regular milk (about 3 to 1).
We are determined to make more bread as the stuff you buy in packets from supermarkets is packed with fat, preservatives and salt and generally not good for you at all - how can it last that long? Slice white bread - don't get me on that one, I'll save that for another post...
One of the most fun cooking things to do with the kids is baking, and at top of our list is baking bread.
Sieve the plain flour into a large mixing bowl
Add the wholemeal flour, bread soda and salt and mix well
Add the butter and rub in until you get a breadcrumb consistency
Add some of the buttermilk and mix well adding more buttermilk until you get a soft workable dough - you may not need to use all of the buttermilk.
On a floured surface, knead the dough - you are looking to get rid of any cracks in the dough. Add more flour or buttermilk if the consistency is not right.
Now you can either put the mixture into greased and floured loaf tin or make it into a round and place it on a baking sheet.
Cut a cross in the top with a sharp knife and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
You can tell it is cooked by tapping the bottom of the loaf with your knuckles, if it sounds hollow then the loaf is cooked.
Leave to cool on a wire rack - take the loaf out of the tin if used.
The kids do everything but taking the loaf in and out of the oven. Well everything but the tidying that they always seem to avoid. They insist on mixing with their hands - rightly so - and adore kneading the dough.
Ingredients
Directions
Sieve the plain flour into a large mixing bowl
Add the wholemeal flour, bread soda and salt and mix well
Add the butter and rub in until you get a breadcrumb consistency
Add some of the buttermilk and mix well adding more buttermilk until you get a soft workable dough - you may not need to use all of the buttermilk.
On a floured surface, knead the dough - you are looking to get rid of any cracks in the dough. Add more flour or buttermilk if the consistency is not right.
Now you can either put the mixture into greased and floured loaf tin or make it into a round and place it on a baking sheet.
Cut a cross in the top with a sharp knife and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
You can tell it is cooked by tapping the bottom of the loaf with your knuckles, if it sounds hollow then the loaf is cooked.
Leave to cool on a wire rack - take the loaf out of the tin if used.