I’m sure you all have your own recipe, but this one is extra special, and comes with its very own Christmas Michelin star for extra namedropping – Rob Lrawczyk’s soda bread.
For 8
5 minutes preparation
40 minutes baking
225g wholemeal flour • 225 white organic flour • 1 tbsp wheatbran • 1 tbsp wheatgerm • 10g bread soda • 1 ½ tbsp dark brown sugar • 1 tsp salt • Around 350ml buttermilk • A handful of mixed seeds or a few oat flakes
1. Heat the oven to 180oC. Put all the dry ingredients into a large baking bowl and mix well.
2. Pour in the buttermilk and mix quickly and lightly with your fingers to make a dough. Add a little milk if it is too dry but don’t overwork the dough.
3. Make the bread into a round loaf, set it on a greased and floured baking tray and make a cross on the top with a knife, or put it in a medium loaf tin.
4. Sprinkle the seeds or the oat flakes on top and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check with a skewer to make sure it is cooked throughout. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.