Two Savoury Soda Breads

These two breads are similar in several ways: both are super fast (less than an hour), both are tasty, rustic and perfect with soups, salads, cold meat, cheese and a whole lot more. Both can be sliced and frozen. (Just take a few slices out at night and toast with breakfast next morning – Mmmm, lovely.)

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Herby Soda Bread

Ingredients	1 loaf	2 loaves	3 loaves
strong white bread flour + extras for dusting	250g	500g	750g
salt	½ tsp	1 tsp	1½ tsp
Herbs (dill, coriander, thyme, parsley, chives etc.)	3 – 4 tsp	4 – 5 tsp	5 – 6 tsp
buttermilk	150ml	300ml	450ml
milk (or you could use all buttermilk)	50ml	100	125ml
Butter	50g	75	100g
Baking powder/bicarb. soda	15g	20g	25g
Oats to go on top (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 220C/fan 200C/425F/Gas 7.  Line 1 or 2 baking trays.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients first then add butter & liquids.
3. Mix well.
4. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead very briefly to bring it together then divide into roughly equal pieces, depending how many loaves you want.
5. Shape each piece into a ball, then flatten a little. Dust each piece with flour and/or brush with milk or left over buttermilk. Cut a deep cross into each piece.
6. Optional – scatter with oats.
7. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Baked loaves should sound hollow underneath when tapped.

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil

• 250g strong white bread flour + extras for dusting
• ½ tsp salt
• 10g baking powder/bicarbonate of soda
• Around 50g – 60g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped, with oil taken off using kitchen paper
• 2 – 3 tbsp basil chopped
• 40g butter – very soft
• 200ml buttermilk**
• Oats to scatter on top (optional)

*NB For two loaves or a very large one, simply double each ingredient. A larger loaf will need longer in the oven, maybe 5 minutes, but check.

**If you don’t have any buttermilk, measure out around 225ml milk then make it up to 250 using lemon juice. Stir and leave for five minutes then use.

1. Preheat oven to 220C/fan 200C/425F/Gas 7.  Line a baking tray.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients first then add everything else in this order: tomatoes, basil, butter and buttermilk. (NB Not quite ALL the buttermilk, put most of it in and see how it mixes. You may not need it all.)
3. Mix well for a few minutes. (Make sure the tomoato pieces and chopped basil are well distributed.)
4. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead very briefly to bring it together.
5. Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten. Dust it with flour and/or brush with milk or left over buttermilk. Cut a deep cross into each piece.
6. Optional – scatter with oats.
7. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes (Check it at 15 min)