QUICK & EASY 'MIDI' SODA BREADS: butter, egg & yeast free; budget friendly;

Super-quick, utterly delicious and healthy: Butter, Egg & Yeast-free budget-friendly Soda Breads...

Quick & Easy Butter & Egg Free 'Mini' Soda Breads
from left: Olive, Walnuts & Seeds, Dried Cherry with Nuts & Seeds

These wonderfully rustic delicious soda breads - adapted from telly chef James Martin - are full of fibre and flavour (though butter-and-egg-free).  They are also terrifically versatile.

Organic flours gives the best results.  

Providing two small('ish) loaves, or a single loaf, it's perfect for a small household or a single meal.

Replace or supplement nuts with seeds and/or fruit (see Tips below) in the basic dough for  la single loaf  OR divide the dough in two and make two completely different loaves.

Leftovers - if any - can be sliced, separated by a small square of greaseproof paper, bagged up and frozen.  Just reach in whenever you  need a slice or two for brekkie or a snack.

Unlike many soda breads, this one makes great toast without falling apart.

Cost: min (organic flour is more) £2.00'ish (9/2023)

Ingred:

   170g/6oz self-raising brown flour  (see self-raising tips below)

    170g/6oz plain white flour
            (*67 used Duchy Organic for both)

   min 1/4 tsp, max 1/2 tsp salt
   1 tsp baking soda

   300 ml buttermilk OR 3/4 plain yoghurt + 1/4 water or milk

   50-100 gm chopped nuts OR sesame, pumpkin & sunflower seeds OR both.  (more variations in Tips) 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c (fan)/180c/350F, gas 6; Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicone mat
2. OR line air fryer tray with greasproof paper;  when loaves are ready preheat to 170-175c/325-50F (depending on your air fryer)
3. Mix dry ingred in a good-sized bowl
4. If making a Single loaf: add choice of nuts and seeds; if making a pair of loaves, leave out nuts & seeds
5. Add buttermilk; stir until all is incorporated (hands may be needed in the final stages)
6. Dump dough onto a lightly floured board
7. single loaf: shape into a round or oval loaf
8. 2  loaves with different additions, divide dough evenly;    flatten each loaf, scatter over desired additions, roll up and shape into 2 loaves
9. Bake/Air-fry 15 mins or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Turn loaf bottom-side up for a few minutes for even cooking 
10. Cool at least 10 mins before eating

Comments:
'The olive bread is amazing. So was the cherry one but in different ways.  Never had bread with cherries in it!' Political agent

Tips:

• Turn plain flour into self-raising by adding 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g/6oz plain flour; sift together.  Add extra 1/4tsp baking soda

Midi Soda Bread Variations

1. Dried berries/cherries or raisons/currents which have been soaked in boiling water for a few mins, drained, dried & dusted with flour (to prevent clumping).  
2. Small fresh berries such as cranberries or blueberries
3. Hard cheese in tiny cubes 
4. Cooked ham hock in small dice or shreds OR butcher's ham, in small cubes
5. Olives which have been rinsed (to reduce salt),  drained and dried, and dusted with flour

More soda breads on Nav Bar: Recipes II  (bottom page)

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This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.