The best seeded soda bread

Name: The best seeded soda bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 275 g plain flour; 200 g Waitrose Duchy Organic Stoneground Wholemeal Plain Flour; 1½ tsp table salt; 3½ tbsp Waitrose mixed seeds; 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 284 ml buttermilk; 1 tbsp black treacle

Martha Collison's soft, spongy soda bread is packed full of seeds, with a high ratio of buttermilk to flour. It’s a wholesome loaf that will keep you full and is perfect for soups, open sandwiches and snacking.

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VegetarianHealthyHigh proteinSource of fibre5 plant varieties

Makes1 loaf
CourseAccompaniment
Prepare10 mins
Cook55 mins
Total time1 hr 5 mins
Pluscooling

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275g plain flour
200g Waitrose Duchy Organic Stoneground Wholemeal Plain Flour
1½ tsp table salt
3½ tbsp Waitrose mixed seeds
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 x 284ml buttermilk
1 tbsp black treacle

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line the bottom of a large deep, lidded, round cast-iron dish with a sheet of baking parchment, with the paper part-way up the sides.
Combine both flours in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, 3 tbsp mixed seeds and the bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to ensure the raising agent is well distributed.
Make a well in the centre, then add the buttermilk and treacle. Using a round-bladed knife, stir the mixture, gradually incorporating the flour to form a soft, wet dough.
Tip the ball of dough into the lined dish – it will look rough and uneven but neatens as it bakes. Dust the top with 1 tbsp wholemeal flour, sprinkle with the remaining seeds, then slash a deep cross on top with a serrated knife. This allows the heat of the oven to penetrate into the centre of the bread to help it bake evenly.

Cook’s tip

Buttermilk
Traditional soda bread recipes favour buttermilk, and I agree that the sour tang and rich creaminess creates the best results. If you don’t have it in your fridge, use 500g natural yogurt and 70ml milk instead.

Strong flour
Bread often demands high gluten flour, such as strong plain or strong Canadian flour. As there is no yeast and no proving time in soda bread, high protein flour isn’t required, and actually creates a tough loaf if used. Stick to regular plain flour, or something low gluten such as spelt or rye.

Baking in a dish
A cast-iron casserole is perfect for high hydration loaves such as this one, as it helps retain the boule shape by preventing it from spreading out. Cooking with the lid clamped on traps the steam, helping the bread rise to its full potential before crusting over.

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