Recipe: White soda bread

The humble loaf of bread is one of the oldest prepared foods in the world has been pretty much a staple for many.

This article was first published in the August 2011 issue of 4x4 Australia.

Preparing bread on the move and in a camp can be quite tricky since one would have to put in time to knead the wheat dough to make a good loaf of bread. For those who don't have the time to knead the dough, this white soda bread recipe might be just what you are looking for to sate your need for a good loaf of bread.

INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups plain flour (a strong bread flour would be good if you have it)
- 1 level tspn castor sugar
- 1 level tspn bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tspn salt
- 1½ cups buttermilk or sour milk (you may need more, or less)

INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 230°C (425°F) or heat your camp oven – you need a hot oven for this bread.
- Sift the flour, caster sugar and bicarb soda into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in most of the buttermilk (leave a little bit behind, you may or may not need it).
- Now mix: It’s best to use one of your hands with your fingers outstretched like a claw, and bring the flour and milk together.
- Add more buttermilk if necessary to form a soft dough that isn’t too wet or sticky. Do not knead the mixture or it will become heavy, treat it like you would a scone dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and just bring it together a little more to form a smooth-ish shape. Pat the dough into a round shape about 4cm high and cut a deep cross in it – this allows the heat to penetrate as it’s cooking.
- Place the dough on a baking tray in the preheated oven 230°C for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 200°C (400°F), and cook for a further 30 minutes.
- When cooked, the loaf will sound slightly hollow when tapped on the base and be golden in colour. You can turn it upside down for the last 15 minutes of cooking to finish off browning the bottom.
- Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Viv's Hint
You can make things savoury by adding herbs, bacon, cheese, etc. Or sweet by adding sultanas and/or currants, chocolate, cinnamon powder, etc.