How to make Sultana Scones and Soda Bread. Easy Bread recipes, home made, Artisan Bread

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Sultana scones are defiantly one of my favourite things, topped with butter and home-made jam they have a real feel good factor.

I’ve put soda bread in here because they are very similar to make. So how do we make Sultana scones and Irish soda bread? Follow me...

Making good scones is all about technique, I know many people whose best efforts always turn out like rock buns and not light fluffy, yummy, scones.

When they are fresh from the oven, scones need very little, a thick spread of butter goes down a treat.

What about topped with homemade jam, later in the year I'll show you how to make the most scrumptious jam from all kind of fruit.

There is always the classic cream tea. Sultana scone topped with clotted cream and strawberry jam, or a fresh strawberry.

there is a debate as to whether the jam, or the cream should be on top.

What to drink with Sultana Scones?

I like a glass of cool milk with mine, but what about a lovely milky lattee or cappuccino, perhaps with a drop of amaretto to add a smile.

The perfect tea for sultana scones has to be Assam tea. It has a soft flavour, very little tannin so that there is no dryness to its taste.

I’ve put these two recipes together, because they are very similar, not the taste, but the ingredients and method. Irish soda bread when cooked right has a wonderful light, fluffy texture. I’m lucky with my flour supplier who actually produce a flour particularly for Irish soda bread. If you don’t have source like that, well you can use any strong white flour.

It is great bread if you don’t have time to wait for proving and the usual resting times required for most bread types.

500gm of strong white flour, or if you want to make a wholemeal version use that instead.

300-350ml of butter milk, or full cream milk.

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda and 1tsp of baking powder.

you also need a flour dusted oven tray.

Pre-heat your oven to gm9 or 240.C.

You can make this in a mixer or by hand if you have the strength and like the hands on feel. Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder with the bicarb, and mix together. Add your milk and knead until the gluten strands become nice and elastic. Make it into whatever shape you like. Irish soda bread is traditionally made like a cottage loaf. It helps to put a deep cut into the dough. The superstition about this is that it allows the devil to get out of the dough.

turn the oven down to gm7 220 C

dust the top of the bread with corn flour and place in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes. to check that the bread is cooked, remove it from the oven, turn it upside down and give it a tap with your finger, becareful it will be very hot. If it has a hollow sound then you are ready.

As I stated above, you can add different types of flour.

Try adding some rye flour, this will make it darker and add extra flavour.

Wholemeal and whole grain flour will give you texture and extra taste.

You can also add fruit, sultanas, dates, apricotes or figs.

Nuts, such as pecan or walnuts, or try broken hazel nuts.

Seeds, such as caraway or fennel will give it a differrent flavour.

Add maple syrup, malt extract, or treacle.

Irish soda bread is great tear and share bread that goes with anything.

Try it with cheese, fruit and perhaps a glass of wine.

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, a really easy to drink New Zealand wine.

Jacob's Creek Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir. I love bubbly and quite often we crack open a bottle of Bucks fizz.

I suppose a nice bottle of Guinness beer would fit the bill perfectly.

Cheers, bottoms up.