Fruit & spice soda bread
By Sarah Cook
A traditional Irish loaf that uses bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast – this version is sweetly spiced with fruit and oats
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Prep:30 mins
Cook:35 mins
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 405
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fat 5g
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saturates 2g
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carbs 79g
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sugars 41g
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fibre 5g
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protein 10g
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salt 0.6g
Ingredients
- 100g rolled porridge oats
- 25g butter, diced
- 200g plain flour
- 200g plain wholemeal flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1½ tsp mixed spice
- 50g raisins
- 50g sultanas
- 50g stoned dates, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp mixed peel
- 450ml buttermilk
- 3-4 tbsp demerara sugar
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz the porridge oats and butter together in a food processor, or rub the butter into the oats with your fingertips in a big bowl. Stir in the flours, caster sugar, bicarb, mixed spice, 1 tsp salt, the raisins, sultanas, dates and mixed peel.
Pour over the buttermilk and quickly stir in with a round-bladed knife. Tip out onto a flour-dusted surface and gently bring together into a ball with your hands. Transfer to a flour-dusted baking sheet and scatter over the demerara sugar, pressing it into the top. Use a sharp, flour-dusted knife to cut a big cross in the top and bake for 30-35 mins until crusty on the outside. Eat warm or cold, thickly sliced, with butter.
