Mini Wholewheat Irish Soda Bread

Soda bread is a thing of the past, but the inclusion of the seeds and grains make this moist and healthy and the touch of honey adds a little sweetness. Enjoy with any meal or made into sandwiches as served here.

Makes 2 small loaves and serves 4.

Ingredients

Dough:

• 115g plain flour
• 5g baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• good pinch of salt
• 115g wholewheat or wholemeal flour
• 20g sunflower seeds
• 20g linseeds
• 20g sesame seeds
• 25g pumpkin seeds
• 20g rolled oats
• 10g honey
• 200ml milk
• 115g natural yoghurt
• rolled oats for decoration

Method

Preheat oven at 180–190°C.

Sift the plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the wholewheat or wholemeal flour, all the seeds and the rolled oats and stir together. Add the honey, milk and natural yoghurt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture together until well combined and a batter-like consistency — you are not looking for an elastic dough so don’t be alarmed or tempted to add more flour.

Spoon the mixture into greased mini loaf tins and level the tops smooth, then sprinkle with rolled oats. Using a small knife dipped in oil, cut into the dough lengthways, halfway down into the batter to create a place for the loaf to split when rising during the first stages of baking.

Bake for 35–40 minutes until a cake skewer comes out clean when inserted. Remove from the oven and tip loaves onto a cooling rack.

John Hawkesby’s wine recommendation

Rose
Fromm La Strada   2010