The bread I always forget exists

I always forget about soda bread.

Like fully forget it exists. And then every now and again I make it and think WHY do I not make this all the time????

Because soda bread is basically a massive scone pretending to be a loaf of bread. And I mean that as the highest possible compliment.

No yeast. No proving. No waiting. No thinking oh I fancy some bread and then realising that means you can have some in approximately four hours.

Soda bread is for when you want bread now now.

It’s one of my favourite Breaducation recipes for exactly that reason. It feels like a tiny bread cheat code. You mix everything together, give it a very quick shape, whack it in the oven and suddenly you have this craggy, golden, slightly wonky loaf that is absolutely DELICIOUS warm with loads of butter.

And the best bit is that once you know the basic idea you can chuck basically whatever you fancy into it.

Oats? YES.

Seeds? Obviously.

A little honey? Delicious.

Seeds AND oats AND honey because you can’t make a decision? Even better.

Use whatever is hanging around in the cupboard. Make it different every time. Or add absolutely nothing and eat it plain and warm with so much salted butter that it becomes structurally questionable.

I think sometimes we get so caught up in what bread can be, starters and fermentation and folding and shaping and planning ahead, that we forget bread can also just be… really easy.

Soda bread is the bread equivalent of deciding you want a scone and then making one the size of your head.

Which, actually, might be the perfect bread.

Anyway. This is mostly a reminder to myself to STOP SLEEPING ON SODA BREAD.

And if you want bread now now, you know what to do.

• 400g plain flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 300ml buttermilk (or milk with 1tbsp lemon juice and left to curdle for a minute or two)

Then, if you fancy:

• A handful of rolled oats, plus a few more for the top

• A handful of mixed seeds, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, whatever you have

• 1 tbsp runny honey

You can do one of these, all of them, or absolutely none of them.

Heat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Mix the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda together in a big bowl. If you’re adding oats or seeds, chuck them in now too.

If you’re using honey, stir it into the buttermilk.

Pour in most of your buttermilk and mix everything together quickly. Add the rest little by little until you have a soft, shaggy, slightly sticky dough. Different flours drink up different amounts of liquid, so don’t feel you HAVE to use every last drop.

The important thing with soda bread is do not overthink it and definitely do not knead it. The less you mess with it, the better.

Tip it onto your tray, Durst with flour and very gently persuade it into a rough round. It does not need to be perfect. In fact, I think soda bread is better when it’s a bit wonky.

If you fancy, scatter over some oats or seeds, then cut a really deep cross through the middle, much deeper than feels natural. You want the heat to be able to get right into the centre. Sprinkle with seeds or oats (optional)

Bake for around 30–35 minutes, until it’s golden and craggy and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

Leave it for as long as your patience allows, then tear or cut into it while it’s still a little warm.

Salted butter. Lots of it.

That’s it.

Bread. Now now.

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