Soda Bread with Red Onions and Rosemary Recipe

Soda Bread is really quick to prepare and does not require any yeast. The raising agent used in this recipe is bicarbonate of soda and baking powder so there is no kneading and proving and the bread is ready for the oven in minutes. The addition of buttermilk is very important to produce a bread which is soft in the middle but also has a delicious crusty exterior. This soda bread recipe has the addition of red onion and fresh Rosemary, but you can vary the flavours to suit your taste. Try adding other ingredients such as chopped bacon, spring onions or even cheese.

Ingredients:

250g Plain flour, plus extra for dusting
250g Wholemeal flour
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Tsp baking powder
350 - 400mls buttermilk
1 Red onion, sliced
A few sprigs of rosemary
Olive oil
Sea salt

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6

2. Sieve the flours, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in a large bowl then make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once then using a spatula mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary.
The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky.

3. When the dough comes together, turn it out onto a floured board and shape into an 8-inch round then place on a lightly floured baking sheet.

4. Arrange chunks of red onion and rosemary over the top, pressing them down
slightly into the dough, then drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake
for about 35-40 minutes, the bread should be golden sound hollow when tapped
on the bottom.

Equipment used:

Tip:
If you prefer a stronger Rosemary flavour add some finely chopped sprigs of rosemary to the flour before adding the buttermilk.