Soda bread
Makes 1 loaf or 10 small rolls
This is the quickest, easiest way to produce yummy bread for your family and the recipe is endlessly adaptable. Increase the amount of wholegrain flour as your child matures, or try adding some herbs, grated cheese or seeds (not large seeds for babies). Or leave out the salt and add chopped dried fruit, a pinch of spice and a little sugar to make a lovely tea bread.
FREEZER FRIENDLY
Ingredients
500g plain white flour, or a combination of white and wholemeal or spelt flour
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 level tsp fine sea salt
300ml plain, full-fat yoghurt
200ml whole milk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.
Lightly grease a baking tray, or line with a non-stick liner.
Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl and use a whisk to thoroughly combine.
Stir the yoghurt and milk together, then add to the dry ingredients and mix well. This will produce a sticky dough (much stickier than other soda bread doughs you might have made), whichI find produces a lovely, moist loaf that keeps well.
You can shape the dough with well-floured hands if you like, but I prefer to simply scrape it onto the baking tray in a big mound, then shape it roughly with a spatula, leaving the surface nice and textured.
If you want to make rolls, scoop small portions of the dough onto a well-floured work top. Roll them in flour and form into rough bap shapes before transferring to the baking sheet.
Bake for about 45 minutes (20 minutes for small rolls), until well risen and golden brown. Leave on a rack to cool.
You can slice the bread while still warm, or leave it to cool completely. Keep for up to 3 days in the bread bin. After the first day or so, the bread will be better toasted.