The super-thoughtful boyfriend gave me Emmanuel Hanjiandreou's "How To Make Bread" for Christmas - the gift that says "oi! womanfriend! I appreciate your cooking, but, you know, do more of it!" (Jokes, I know he wouldn't dare say such a thing). I do love making bread though - all the fun of baking but none of that messing around trying to make everything look picture-perfect. Chuck a bit of flour over a bread, and it instantly looks fantastic. The book is really good, actually, and there are heaps of photographs showing the different techniques. This is one of the simplest recipes. Soda bread has a texture a bit like scones, but lighter, and a nice salty flavour that makes it great with salads. Eat it the day you make it.
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
260ml buttermilk (or regular whole milk)
oil spray
Heat up your oven to 200C.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Pour the buttermilk/ milk over the top, and mix everything together with a metal spoon until it just forms a dough - you don't want to overmix it.
Dust a chopping board or counter with flour, and scoop your dough out of the bowl and onto the board/counter. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten slightly, and sprinkle with plenty more flour. Cut a deep cross in the top using a serrated knife for maximum rustic-ness.
Cover a baking sheet with baking paper, and give it a spray with oil. Slide your dough onto the tray, and bake for 25-35 minutes. When it is cooked, it should make a hollow sound when you tip it over and tap the bottom.
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