Bready steady go…
The bakers certainly demonstrated some serious flour power this week with some scrumptious show stoppers. We particularly loved Louis’ beautiful ‘Opposites Attract’ twisted rolls and we were sorry to see Jordan leave after his soggy strawberry bread failed to impress.
There were some spectacular doughy delights but we decided to go back to basics this week. We asked our nutritional therapists to suggest a simple and versatile solution for bread lovers who don’t get on with yeast and they certainly rose to the challenge:
Yeast Free Basil and Tomato Soda Bread
What you will need:
- 200g coarse wholemeal flour
- 275g plain flour
- 300ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- Handful of chopped roasted tomatoes
- Handful of chopped Basil leaves
What to do:
- Preheat your oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
- In a large bowl, mix the basil, roasted tomatoes and coarse flour together with the sieved plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
- Make a well in the centre of the mix and add the buttermilk. Combine until a dough forms which is soft but not too sticky.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth
- Shape into a round loaf and score a cross on the top
- Place on a lightly floured baking tray and bake for 30 – 40 minutes
- To test if it is properly baked, tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it’s ready
- Take a tip from Paul Hollywood and ‘Be Patient’ – let the bread rest for 10 minutes before devouring!
The flavours in this recipe can be altered to suit your taste. Why not try parmesan and chive or roasted peppers and feta or keep it simple and stick to a little sea salt.
