Soda breads are easy to make and require very little effort to achieve an excellent result. By covering the bread with a cake tin for the first part of cooking, you will achieve an even shaped loaf and it will also help keep it moist. While I enjoy bread with my soup as a dinner party I'm never in love with crusty rolls that crumble or are too hard to get your teeth into. This bread is ideal to have with soups.

Ingredients

• 3½ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• ½ tsp salt
• 50 grams butter, chilled and diced
• 1½ - 2 cups buttermilk
• ¼ cup extra flour, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Lightly grease a baking tray or line with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter and make a well in the centre. Using a wooden spoon, add sufficient buttermilk to mix to a soft scone-like dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured bench and knead very gently to just bring together.
4. Shape the bread into a 20-22cm round and place on the prepared baking tray. Cut a shallow cross in the centre and dust the top with a little extra flour if wished.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until cooked. To test when the soda bread is cooked, tap it underneath and the bread should sound hollow.
6. Transfer to a cake rack to cool, but serve freshly baked and warm.

Cooks Tips

If you do not have buttermilk, use 2 cups of milk and sour it with 1 tblsp of lemon juice. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Variation - Divide the mixture into individual portions and bake for 15-20 minutes.