Recipe - English Soda Bread

1 One half teaspoon Baking soda OR
1 One half teaspoon Baking powder if not using
sour or buttermilk
1 One half cup Milk ( if sour use the soda
)
One half teaspoon Salt or to taste
3 cup Flour( wasnt specified but I
used bread flour although
all purpose is generally
used in quick breads )

Preheat oven to 425 F ! Mix all the ingredients together by hand with a
fork as you would for biscuits, i.e. gently and quickly until a dough ball
forms, leaving the sides of the bowl. Place dough on a greased baking
sheet. Use a piece of plastic wrap to cover the dough so you can easily
shape it into a round loaf with your hands.( it's a sticky dough that's why
) Remove plastic, use a sharpe knife and cut, slash an "X" accross the top
of the dough. Dust top of loaf with flour.( for looks only ) Now use a
large metal bowl and completely cover the loaf with it! Bake in the
preheated 425F oven for 30 minutes. Remove bowl ,( careful, steam will
escape,) and return bread to the oven and bake another 30 minutes at 425 or
until golden. You should have a crusty loaf with a lovely moist interior.
Note: my bread finished baking in 15 minutes after the bowl was removed not
30 and was a good golden brown. This truely tastes best when served warm.

Posted to Digest breadbakers.v096.n070

From: LIR119@delphi.com

Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 08:32:19 0500 (EST)