Makes
2 loaves
Ingredients
450g/1lb
wholewheat flour (soft or strong)
450g/1lb white flour
600ml/1pint buttermilk or plain yoghurt
5ml/1tsp salt
100g/4oz butter or margarine at room temperature, cut into small pieces
10ml/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
a little extra milk if necessary
extra butter for serving
Method
Preheat
the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
1. Mix flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl.
Rub in the fat with your fingertips.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk or yoghurt and mix
well. It should be a dry dough, but if too dry add 1-2tbsp of milk.
3. Turn out onto the work top and knead for 2 minutes. You will be surprised
how all the loose flour is incorporated into the dough! It should be
dryish and crumbly but hold together (add a little more milk if necessary
at this stage).
4. Divide into two loaves, form into rounded shapes and place each on
a greased baking sheet. Make eight deep cuts into the dough to form the
farls (use a floured knife).
5. Place in the oven making sure you leave enough head room for the bread
to rise. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven then reduce the heat
to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and continue baking for a further 25 minutes. The
bread should rise quite a lot and the cuts open out.
6. When cooked, remove from the oven and cool on wire trays.
7. This bread can be frozen once cooked, otherwise it should be eaten
on the same day as it has been made as it goes stale very quickly.
© Copyright
The Vegetarian Society 1997
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