Soda Bread

Preheat the oven to 230 C and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt twice, to be sure the soda is evenly distributed. Put the mixture in a big bowl and make a well in the center. Pour ¾ of the buttermilk in and stir. Blend until the dough is evenly lumpy, but be careful not to work it too vigorously . Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for just 15 seconds. As it is really sticky you better flour your hands and the dough well and just press it few times. Divide the dough in 4, and briefly form slightly flattened hemispheres. With a very sharp knife cut a cross on top of the soda breads – the cut should go halfway down through the sides of the circle to let the bread expand as it rises in the oven. Put the baking sheet in the preheated oven – it is important to have the oven really hot at this point. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 230C, and then lower the heat to 200C for 10 more minutes. Make sure you don’t open the oven’s door during first 15 minutes of baking. The breads are ready when tapping the bottom sounds hollow. Arrange the breads on a rack to slightly cool for 10 minutes or just until you can handle them. If you want a soft crust, instead of putting them on a rack, wrap in a clean dishcloth right after taking them out the oven.