Hello My Gals and Guys,
This is the one recipe that brings me back to my Grandmas kitchen in my childhood.
It took me many years to perfect it the way she made it, but it’s still not the same. Her oven was different, she burned turf (ancient petrified wood which I will go into detail in another post), it was made with no measures ( she just instinctively knew the quantities) and most importantly it was made by her loving hands. She used to press the baking soda in to the palm of her hand with her perfectly fat thumb to get the lumps out, it was my favourite part. I can still hear how it made that uncomfortable squeaky noise and her well worn hands did it so matter-of -factly.
The table she had in her kitchen had some kind of old enamel or plastic coating with a pattern on it and the corner she made the bread eventually ended up with no pattern, just a white patch. Everyones favourite corner.
She used to let us help her until we started messing around and over mixing it and then she would step in to make it perfect. I remind you she had 23 grandchildren and she showed great patience with all of us.
My Mom makes a little scone (brown buns) version with the same recipe when anyone is around and she gets requests from family and friends to make them. She just knows to start baking them when my Brother is around as he can eat the whole batch in one sitting.
Our family favourites toppings are tomatoes and onion or fresh boiled ham and mayo. It’s so versatile you can use it with or for any thing. I like it toasted the next day with a smashed up boiled egg and lots of butter.
It’s also a very quick and easy make as it has no yeast , so no kneading or proving needed. In actual fact the less you handle it the better and the faster you get it in the oven the better it is ,as the soda and butter milk reaction doesn’t last that long.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups of wholemeal flour
1.5 cups of plain flour
1.5 cups of buttermilk (maybe more or less depending on your flour)
2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil( any good oil will do)
Irish flax oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1 free range egg (optional)
1.5 teaspoons of Baking soda( bicarbonate of soda)
2 tablespoons of wheat germ or Flax seeds (optional)
pinch of sea salt
porridge oats for topping
I try to use organic products but any good brand is just as tasty. What you put in you get out.
some of the ingredients
METHOD
– Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade
– Add all the dry ingredients together well in a bowl so the soda is spread evenly
– Mix all of the wet ingredients together and add most of it to the dry.
-Do not over mix and do not add all the liquid as it might be wet enough.
-It should come together but still be a little wet
– Empty out on to a well floured surface and quickly roll in to what ever shape you like
-Cut a big cross into the dough about 1/2 an inch deep this help it bake evenly and looks great.
-Very lightly egg wash and sprinkle with oats and flax seeds
-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and give it turn upside down for another 5. You will know when its ready by tapping on the bottom, it will sound hollow.
Allow to cool if you can to cut it but a hot crusty corner is the best thing in life.
Please enjoy making and eating it and think of Kitty while you do.
Note ; I love to use Flax seed oil in my baking and cooking, however it is expensive. I use it as it grows beautifully in Ireland and is really good for you. It has more Omega 3 than Rapeseed oil, Olive oil and sunflower oil. I do love to use rapeseed oil also when I have larger quantities to use as it is a bit more cost effective and it also grows well in Ireland. There are some fabulous makers here in Ireland and their fields are full of the most beautiful yellow and blue flowers. It is so picturesque.
Happy baking
Kind regards
Sarah