IRISH OATMEAL SODA BREAD

IRISH OATMEAL SODA BREAD

My first attempt at soda bread was with Delia Smith's recipe for Irish Oatmeal Soda Bread which is a very rich bread in terms of taste, no doubt helped enormously by the addition of an egg.
It is a variation of the traditional Irish Soda bread.

Ingredients

175 grams wholemeal flour
50 grams plain flour
50 grams pinhead oatmeal
25 grams wheatgerm
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 egg
275ml buttermilk
a little extra flour for dusting

Take a large bowl and mix all the ingredients into it, then rub in the butter until it is thoroughly blended.
Mix in the milk, first with a spatula and then with your hands, until you have a soft dough.
Knead it briefly in the bowl then transfer the dough to a floured worktop and shape it into a round mound.
Using a knife, score the top of the dough quite deeply making a cross.
Leave the loaf for about 10 or 15 minutes.
Place it on a greased baking sheet and bake it for about 45 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
Allow the loaf to cool and serve it as fresh as possible.