Soda bread Recipe

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
• 1½tsp mixed spice
• 50g raisins
• 50g sultanas
• 50g stoned dates, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp mixed peel
• 450ml buttermilk
• 3-4 tbsp demerara sugar

Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.