A Seriously Easy Guide to Baking Healthy Bread!

It's challenging to find everyday foods that haven't been heavily processed before we buy them. However, we can make small changes with significant health benefits. For example, try baking your own bread instead of buying the flavorless white loaves marketed as healthy in supermarkets. This includes any bread in plastic packaging, regardless of whether it claims to be wholemeal, 50/50, or anything else. These loaves often have up to 12 ingredients when a good bread recipe needs only 4

I can already hear everyone saying, "I'm too busy to bake!" or "It's too difficult, and I need all sorts of equipment!" Think again.

I'm going to show you how to bake healthy, wholesome soda bread with just 4 ingredients, a bowl, a spatula, and a baking tray...

Here's what you'll need:

• 400g / 12 oz strong wholemeal flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 400ml buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a loaf tin or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the wholemeal flour, salt, and bicarbonate of soda.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Gradually pour in the buttermilk, mixing until a smooth batter forms

Gently fold in any remaining flour clumps.

There is no need for proving the dough, as we use Bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast, this also means a less bloaty loaf aswell.

Transfer the batter to the prepared tin or baking sheet and smooth it into a loaf shape.

Cut a deep cross into the top of the bread.{ to let the fairies out according to Irish folklore!}

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying.

This bread will last 4–5 days in a bread bin, although it never lasts that long before it gets eaten in my house! It's also great for freezing, so why not batch bake two or three so you always have some ready to go?

So, there you have it, the easiest recipe for baking your own bread, what are you waiting for, give it a go this weekend, Im sure you will love it!