Some even say baking makes us kinder people!  We could all do with some kindness now that we’re at home more and confined to within 2km of our homes.  Not only will making bread pass some time in your ‘NEW NORMAL’ day its so simple you can get the children involved.  Just a few ingredients will get you started to baking your own brown soda bread.  Almost like growing you own fruit and vegetables we believe that there’s something satisfying and rewarding about being able to provide food for yourself and your loved ones.   A study was done in France in 2012 revealing that we are more likely to be kinder to people when we breath in the sweet smell of baking bread.

The experts, at the University of Southern Brittany in France, recruited eight young men and women volunteers and told them to stand outside either a bakery or a clothes boutique.The volunteers pretended to be looking for something in their bags as they stepped in front of a passing shopper.  As they walked a few feet in front of the shopper, the participants dropped a glove, handkerchief or packet of tissues. Two observers stood about 60ft away. The experiments – which were repeated up to 400 times – found that when the volunteers dropped the items outside the bakery, 77 per cent of passers-by stopped and helped recover the lost items and hand them back to their owner. Outside the clothes shop only 52 per cent of strangers helped.

All you need to make your own brown soda bread

Ingredients

350g wholemeal flour

125g plain flour

425ml buttermilk

1tsp Bread soda

1/2tsp Salt

1tbsp Wheat bran (optional)

Oil spray / margarine for greasing

2lb Loaf tin or Baking Sheet

Allergens: Wheat (contains gluten), Milk.

Method

1. Sieve the plain flour, salt and bread soda into a mixing bowl.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix them together until combined.
2. Spray / grease  your tin (we used frylite) and put the mixture into the tin.  If you’re not using a tin drop the mix onto a floured surface and mould into a ball.  Place on a baking tray and its ready for the oven.  You can use the back of a knife to make the traditional cross design or a design of your choice in your bread before baking.
3. Bake at 200•C for 30minutes. To check if its baked stick a knife in the middle and when it comes out it should be clean. If not bake for 5 more minutes.  Tap the base to make sure it sounds hollow.
4. Drop the bread onto a wire rack to cool.
5. Wait ( if you can!) until its cold before you cut and eat.

For a soft crust wrap your bread in a tea towel until its cooled.  For a more crips crust leave it cool and then wrap your bread in cling film when its cold.   It will keep for up to 2 days.

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