Recipe: Soda Farl

A simple yeast free bread, quick to make and eat.  Like most bread, it’s best eaten slightly warm, but it toasts well next day too. 

I’ve made it with a range of flours, from a basic self raising white (leave out the raising agents …) to an artisanal wholewheat.  A favourite is a 1:1 mix of spelt and a strong white bread flour.  The recipe also comfortably welcomes honey, dried herbs, sun dried tomatoes, olives or cheese: whether alone or in combo.  Crisply fried smoky bacon and Lancashire cheese made an incredible combo (I’ve not always been vegetarian).  I don’t have one, but I think this bread would be amazing baked in a wood fired oven. 

The bread works out at around 40% carbohydrate when made 1:1 spelt/white flour, Trex fat, Alpro soya yoghurt & Oatly barista milk.

YOU WILL NEED:

500 g flour

25g hard fat (such as butter, margarine or Trex)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp Cream of Tartar

or

3 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon plain, unsweetened yoghurt

300 ml (or so) your milk of choice

You can mix by hand or use a mixer/food processor. 

A well floured baking sheet

A very sharp knife

Oven preheated to 220c/430f/Gas7

30 mins or so bake; about ten minutes to cool enough to eat

TO MAKE

Rub the dry ingredients together. 

Add any extras you’re using (except honey). 

Get your hands well floured. 

Mix to a slightly damp dough with the honey (if using) yoghurt and milk. 

Place on the baking sheet and form quickly into a round cake; I usually go about 20 cm diameter (thumb to pinkie span on me). 

Make three deep cuts across the loaf, to give six pieces.  Try to cut straight down, don’t drag the knife, the loaf will rise better. 

Brush with a glaze if you wish. 

Stick it in the hot oven to bake, it will sound hollow when cooked through.  You’re better to over, rather than under, bake it. 

Cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy. 

The soda farl in it’s natural environment, with a delicious bowl of vegetable soup.