No St. Patty's day meal is complete without homemade Irish Soda bread!
There's nothing better than a fresh slice of steamy, warm bread with vegan butter and jam on a drizzly Spring day! This recipe is easy peasy and deliciously vegan too!
Ingredients:
250g plain white flour
250g plain wholemeal flour
100g porridge oats
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
25g butter, cut in cubes
500ml Vegan buttermilk ( *or make your own, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to plain oat, soy or nut milk, let sit 10 mins.)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently).
Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. This is both Magick & Tradition, as this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through!
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn’t ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices – or simply slice across. It's best eaten very fresh, but also a treat toasted with Butter, jam and a cuppa too!
Happy St. Patricks day..and also St. Gertrude days, Patron saint of cats!