225g (8oz/scant 1 1/2 cups) brown wholemeal flour (preferably stone-ground)

225g (8oz/generous 1 1/2 cups) plain white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon bread soda (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda) sieved

12-25g (1/2 – 1oz) of butter or 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) of fresh or

even sour cream

1 free range egg

400-425ml (14-15fl oz/1 3/4 cups – generous 1 3/4 cups) sour milk or buttermilk

a sprinkling of wholemeal flour for the work top and baking sheet

‍

Mix the wholemeal and white flour in a large bowl. Add the carefully measured salt

and sieved bicarbonate of soda.

Mix well, add the diced butter and rub into the flour to resemble coarse breadcrumbs.

Crack an egg into a measuring jug, whisk with a fork, then add the buttermilk to

measure 400-425ml (14-15fl oz/1 3/4 – generous 1 3/4 cups) in total.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in most of the liquid and mix in

a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl to form a dough

(add a little more buttermilk if necessary). Wash and dry your hands.

Sprinkle wholemeal flour on the worktop, turn the dough onto the floured surface.

With floured hands, shape the dough into a round, about 5cm (2 inch) thick. Flip over

and tidy around the edges. Slide your floured hand underneath and transfer to a

floured baking tray.

Cut a deep cross, the traditional blessing and prick in the four corners to let the fairies

out of the bread.

Put into the preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to

200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and cook for 25 minutes or until the loaf looks baked. Flip

the loaf over for 5-10 minutes at the end of cooking to make sure it’s fully cooked – it

should sound hollow when tapped on the base.

Cool on a wire rack, wrapped in a clean tea-towel while hot if you prefer a softer

crust.

‍

To serve:

Break the bread in two, cut into thick slices from the heel, traditionally served

slathered with butter.

Best eaten on the day it’s made.

‍