Seeded Soda Bread
(Makes 1 loaf)
A crispy loaf with added crunch and flavour thanks to the toasted seeds. This is a delicious easy bread which doesn’t require much kneading. The mildly acidic buttermilk or kefir reacts with the rising agent (bicarbonate of soda) to produce carbon dioxide, which creates the bubbles and does the leavening.
Ingredients
200g wholegrain buckwheat flour
100g plain white flour (or gluten-free flour)
tsp bicarbonate of soda
35g sunflower seeds
25g sesame seeds
25g ground linseeds
25g chia seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup
160ml kefir (or buttermilk)
A little milk for brushing
Method
PREHEAT the oven to 200c/180c fan/gas mark 6. In a bowl, mix together the flours, bicarbonate of soda and two-thirds of the seeds. Make a well in the centre and pour in the maple syrup and kefir and mix everything together to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and gently knead it. Make a round loaf and place it on a floured baking sheet. Cut a cross in the top with a sharp knife.
Brush the surface with a little milk, then sprinkle the remaining seeds over the top, pressing them in slightly. Bake the loaf for 30-35 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Leave it to cool on a wire rack.
It can be frozen on the day of baking.
© Daily Mail