Christmas Soda Bread
All the flavours of Christmas in one loaf (marzipan, vanilla, orange, mixed spice and dried fruit) - Christmas Soda Bread is quick and easy to make and so delicious spread with butter and even jam if you wish!
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 180 ml Milk
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 175 g Plain spelt flour
- 175 g Wholegrain spelt flour
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¾ tsp Mixed spice
- 100 g Caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 35 g Marzipan grated
- Grated zest of 1 orange or 2 clementines wash well with detergent first
- ½ tsp Salt
- 40 g Currants
- 40 g Dried cherries chopped
- Demerara sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 190⁰C.
- Prepare a baking tray a sheet or baking parchment and a scattering of flour.
- Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside to curdle.
- Sieve the flours, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and mixed spice into a large bowl.
- Then mix in the caster sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, marzipan, orange zest and dried fruit thoroughly.
- Add the curdled milk and mix in with a round bladed knife until a dough if formed (use your hands towards the end).
- Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape into a dome (speed is important as the raising agents start working as soon as you add the milk).
- Place the dome onto the baking sheet, sprinkle on a good layer of Demerara sugar (patting down) and using a sharp knife cut a deep cross down into the dough.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a hollow sound is heard when you knock on the underside of the loaf.
- Place on a wire rack to cook.
- Serve warm or cold with butter (and jam if liked) with a nice cuppa!
Notes
Unless you have unwaxed oranges or clementines you must wash the wax off your citrus fruit as this is not meant for human consumption. I use a drop of washing up liquid, rub in well with a drop of warm water and then give it a scrub with my potato brush. I think I got this tip from Michael van Stratton on a radio show (LBC) many years ago!