Specially for St Patrick’s Day on 17 March, try our Soda Bread recipe. Soda bread is one of the easiest breads to make – no proving, no yeast and ready in under an hour. Delicious warm from the oven or toasted the next day.

• Ingredients
• 6 oz wholemeal flour
• 6 oz plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½–¾ pint of buttermilk or yogurt

1. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6.
2. Tip all the dry ingredients (flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda) into a bowl and mix.
3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk (or yogurt). Mix in to form a soft dough (add a little extra milk if the dough seems too stiff).
4. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, mixing quickly with a large fork to form a soft dough. (Depending upon the absorbency of the flour, you may need to add a little milk if the dough seems too stiff but it should not be too wet or sticky.)
5. Knead briefly on a floured surface and form a round. Flatten slightly then place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Cut a cross in the top, making sure that you cut deeply–almost but not quite to the bottom of the loaf.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes–check to see if it is ready by tapping on the bottom of the loaf–it should sound hollow.
7. Cool on a wire rack.
   Love to bake? Try our breadmaking workshops – https://www.lochlevenslarder.com/bread