Irish Soda Bread

420 g wholemeal flour

375 g plain white flour

1 t salt

1 t baking soda (bicarbonate soda)

680 ml buttermilk

sift flours, salt and soda into large bowl

stir in enough buttermilk to make a firm dough

turn dough onto floured surface, knead until smooth

shape into 8 in round and place on floured or greased baking tray

cut 1/2 in deep slashes on round in a cross shape, brush with milk

bake at 430F (220C) for about 50 minutes

lift onto wire rack to cool

banANNA bread

Banana bread for breakfast today. This is mostly the same recipe as the one I made in 2008, but slightly different.

3/4 c butter

1 1/4 c sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 C mashed banana

3 1/2 C whole wheat flour

5 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, add mashed banana. Sift dry ingredients together and add, blending well. Butter two loaf pans and turn half of batter into each. (or dust pans with flour) Bake in moderate oven 350F (175C) for 1 hour or until tested done.

In the previous recipe I used whole wheat flour. In Ireland, they have either white, self-rising white, or "whole meal" which is whole wheat but not completely ground smooth. I used 2 1/2 C whole meal flour and 1 C regular white flour. And in the other recipe it called for 4 t baking powder, 1 t baking soda, but since I didn't have as much banana, I used an extra t of powder and left out the soda. I read here that the difference between baking soda and baking powder is that baking soda, bicarbonate soda, is a base and it reacts with an acid to bubble up and act as the leavening agent in a recipe. Well with less banana than the recipe called for, I used baking powder which already has the "acid" in the mix, or cream of tartar. So there you have it... Banana Bread!

Mulberry Banana Bread

3/4 c butter

1 1/4 c sugar

4 eggs

2 c mashed bananas

3 1/2 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda
2 c mulberries

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with mashed bananas, blending well. Fold in berries. Dust two loaf pans with flour and turn half of batter into each. (or use Pam) Bake in moderate oven 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tested done.

Eat, it's delicious... or you can just do the banana bread part... because this recipe is the best I've ever had (compliments to Sarah Hazel.)