Ballymaloe white soda bread
By: Rachel Allen From: Rachel Allen: Bake!
- Prep time:
- 15 mins
- Cook time:
- 20 mins
- Serves:
- makes 1 loaf
Rachel Allen’s basic bread recipe can come alive with a host of sweet and savoury variations – try chocolate, cinnamon, crisp bacon or herbs
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Ingredients
- 400g plain flour
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 350ml Buttermilk
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 230C/gas 8.2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the buttermilk (leaving about 60ml in the measuring jug). Using one hand with your fingers outstretched like a claw, bring the flour and liquid together, adding more buttermilk if necessary. Do not knead the mixture or it will become heavy. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky.
3. When the dough comes together, turn onto a floured work surface and bring together a little more. Pat the dough into a round about 4cm deep and cut a deep cross in the top.
4. Place the dough onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 200C/gas 6 and bake for a further 30. When ready, the loaf will sound slightly hollow when tapped on the base and be golden in colour.
5. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)
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Latest Comment
View all comments (7)How delightfully simple. I used to make this with my Ex's 90 year old Granny in Ireland but she never weighed anything and just slung everything in "by handfulls". Thank you so much Rachel for a wonderfully simple recipe
The bread was great but it did not take nearly as long as it says to bake. It baked in almost half the time.
LizA9689 - 230 degrees is not gas mark 6 - that's an typo error. 230 is more like a gas 8 or 9 which is about as hot as most ovens will go so basically turn it on full whack to start with! Hope that helps!
what do i turn the heat down to as it says preheat to gas6 then turn down to gas 6
If you are looking to find where your recipes are after you have saved them - Scroll up to where it says welcome and select My UKTV and it should be on the right hand side in there :o)
Hello, jasper36. Please click on the link at right / below - Save this recipe to My Recipe Book.
This looks great but how do I save it to My Recipe Book---where is it?