Wonderful Moist Rich Brown Soda Bread

I had been looking for quite a while in vain for the soda bread which I had in Ireland. I have now made my own recipe and it's great, tasty and texture is good, and very easy to make

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 3  cups  coarse whole wheat flour
• 1  cup  of strong brown bread flour
• 1  teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3  teaspoons  molasses dark brown sugar (or any dark brown soft sugar)
• 1 3⁄4 cups buttermilk
• 2  ounces butter
• 1  large egg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200° or 180° for fan assisted ovens .Makes one medium size loaf 9" x 4" loaf tin.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in bowl making sure the sugar is well mixed.
3. In a separate bowl pour in about 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk (saving the rest for later) add the egg slightly whisking as you go. Melt butter slowly over low heat and add this to the buttermilk mixture.
4. Now make a well in flour mixture and gradually add the buttermilk mixture until sticky. If needed add some more of the left over buttermilk.
5. Grease the loaf tin with a little butter and put the mixture in then shape with your knuckles to fit the tin. Place in the preheated oven for 50 mins, when done the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.Leave to cool on wire rack, If you require a softer crust cover with a clean damp teatowel
6. Eat warm or cold with lashings of butter, lovely with soup, cheese, jam or nice cooked breakfast in fact anything at all!