Ever since I first tried Irish soda bread, I was hooked. Its texture and flavour is so unique. I love the crunchy crust and the light sweetness goes really well with sweet as well as savoury toppings. When I realized how easy it was to make  the bread, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made any earlier. You can imagine that I never went to buy one from the supermarket ever again.  It’s so simple, it’s unreal. To always have some handy, I usually make a batch, leave it to cool, slice it and then freeze it.  When ever I want a slice, I just toast it – super delicious.

Many recipes use a mix of white and wholegrain flours but I just used spelt wholegrain flour,  which gives the bread a nice fibre rich texture.  I also used kefir instead of buttermilk and inspired by the turmeric buns I had in London back in May, I added a tsp of turmeric into the mix. It turned out just delicious. Nutritionally speaking Irish soda bread is rich in fibre and some probiotics from the kefir, though they are not likely to survive the heat of the oven. Flour made from a whole grain is rich in minerals and vitamins, especially B-vitamins including folate, which we need for energy production and cell health among other things.  And here is what you need:

Irish Soda bread with turmeric- makes one loaf

Ingredients:
300g spelt flour
250ml Kefir or natural yogurt
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:
1. Preheat the oven at 200C.
2. Place the flour, sea salt, bicarbonate soda and turmeric in a bowl and mix well.
3. Now make a well in the centre of the flour mix, pour in the Kefir and start mixing the ingredients into a soft dough, using your hands or a fork. Wholegrain flours can be quite absorbent, so if the dough gets too dry, add some more Kefir. Just be careful, the dough should not get too wet or sticky either.
4. Once you have a nicely textured dough, either tip on a floured surface and knead briefly or you can add a little flour to the bowl and knead the dough in the bowl.
5. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray, form the dough into a round loaf, flatten and place on the baking tray. Cut a cross into the top, sprinkle with a little flour and bake
for 30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when you tap on it.
6. Once baked leave to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with ghee or your favourite bread spread. I love topping it with some raw honey, a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of cinnamon.

Enjoy !! xx