← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 250 g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 250 g Wholemeal flour
• 50 g Rolled oats (optional)
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 25 g Butter, cut into small pieces
• 450 ml buttermilk, plus a little extra if needed

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F) and dust a baking tray with flour.
2. Mix the flours, oats, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips.
3. Make a well in the middle, pour in most of the buttermilk and quickly mix with a fork or your fingers to a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add the rest of the buttermilk if there are dry patches. Do not knead.
4. Tip onto a floured surface and gently shape into a round about 5 cm thick. Put it on the tray and cut a deep cross into the top, almost to the bottom.
5. Bake for 30–35 min until well risen and browned, and the base sounds hollow when tapped.
6. Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 min; wrap it in a clean tea towel while it cools if you like a softer crust.

Tips

• Work fast once the buttermilk goes in: the rise starts immediately.
• No buttermilk? Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice into 450 ml milk and leave for 5 minutes.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food BBC Food Olive Magazine