Soda bread is a crumbly, tender bread with a crisp crust. It doesn’t rely on yeast, so if you forget to start bread dough rising earlier in the day (who me?) it has your back. Soda bread can be on the sweet side, almost like a scone, or it can be savoury.

This recipe definitely leans on the savoury side. Throw in the herbs of your choice, and you could be forgiven if you were to accidentally spill half a cup or so of grated cheese into the dough too.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt + 1 pinch for the top
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2-3 tsp fresh herbs of your choice (I used thyme and rosemary in about equal parts)
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup whole milk with a splash of vinegar added)
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour (4 cups), salt (1 tsp), baking soda (1 tsp), baking powder (1 tbsp) and herbs (2-3 tsp)
3. In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk (1 cup), egg (1) and butter (1/2 cup)
4. Pour most of the liquid ingredients into the dry, holding back about 1 tbsp
5. Knead together until you have a messy, crumbly dough – be careful not to overknead
6. Form dough into a ball and place on a baking dish
7. Slash a deep, vicious X into the top of the dough (or a Z, if you secretly dream of becoming Zorro)
8. Brush the top with the remaining wet ingredients
9. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is bronzed and the centre is cooked
10. Let cool before serving

Notes:

• This bread is best eaten on the first day. I suggest freezing any leftovers right away.
• The key to this bread is to accept that it is rustic. Just go with it!