O'Brien Chop House Restaurant, Main street, Lismore, Co. Waterford

Ballyvolane House Soda Bread (Brown & White)

Ballyvolane House Brown Soda Bread

(Makes 2 bread loaves)

• Preheat the oven to 200˚c
• grease bread tins with butter spray

Place a large bowl/basin onto weighing scales, and add the following ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs of course wholemeal flour
• add one handful of wheat bran
• add two handfuls of wheat germ
• add pinhead oatmeal up to 21/4 lbs on scales
• add 2 tsp salt
• add 2 tsp of sieved bread soda (bicarb)
• mix dry ingredients well
• add 1 litre of buttermilk & stir until the buttermilk is mixed through all the dry ingredients
• divide into 2 greased bread tins & sprinkle with pinhead oatmeal
• bake for 1 hour on high shelf

Ballyvolane House White Soda Bread

(Makes 1 bread loaf)

• 450 g (1lb) plain flour
• 1 level tsp salt
• 1 level tsp bread soda (bicarb)
• 450ml (14 fl oz) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 250 degrees centigrade/ 475 f/ gas 9

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour in all of the milk at once. Using 1 hand, with your fingers stiff and outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever-increasing circles. The dough should be softish not too we and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands.

Tidy up and flip over gently. Pat the dough into a round about 1.5 inches deep. Cut a deep cross on the loaf and prick in the four corners to let the fairies out!

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn down to 22 degree c/400 degrees f/ gas 6 for 30 mins or until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread; when it is cooked it will sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Note: Soda breads are best eaten on the day they are made but are still good for a day or so more.