Ireland: Peter's Mum's Health Loaf

Ingredients:

8 oz / 225 g plain flour
1 heaped tsp / 5ml spoon baking-soda
1 level tsp / 5 ml spoon salt
2 oz / 55 g caster / granulated sugar
2 oz / 55 g hard margarine (or butter)
10 oz / 285 g wholewheat flour (stone-ground wholemeal etc. Fine is OK, but Mum says "coarse is better" – it’s a texture thing.)
2 oz / 55 g "Kellogg’s All-Bran"
2 oz / 55 g "Grant’s Porage Oats" (or other dry, rolled oats: "Quick Quaker Oats" in the US, for example)
2 oz / 55 g pinhead oatmeal ("coarse steel-cut oats")
1 UK pint / 20 fl oz / 550 ml buttermilk
extra buttermilk or regular milk to moisten*

(Click on "Read more" for the method)

Method:

1) Pre-heat oven to 200˚C / 390˚F. If using a fan oven requiring a slight reduction in temperature, do so.

2) Sieve flour, baking-soda, salt and sugar together. Mum says not to sieve in the wholewheat flour, just to mix it in at stage four.

3) Cut margarine (or butter) in small pieces and rub into dry ingredients until they become like coarse breadcrumbs.

4) Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well.

5) Gradually add buttermilk and mix well with spoon or spatula; when buttermilk is absorbed add a little more buttermilk or regular milk, if required, to keep the dough from becoming too solid. Dough should be moist, sticky and "slack". * Re. extra moistening; Mum says she uses regular milk just for convenience, since her buttermilk is delivered in 1-pint cartons and she doesn't open a second for the sake of a couple of spoonfuls. Depending on packaging, your mileage may vary.

6) Divide dough between 2 loaf tins (recipe should fill 2 x 1-lb / 500g tins) and bake for about 30 mins; after first 10 mins, reduce temperature by 20˚C / 70˚F for remaining time. When done, a skewer will pierce and withdraw clean. Top of loaf should be browned and "toasty"; if necessary increase heat and bake for a further 5 mins.

7) Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool. Excellent with butter and jam or honey as a tea bread; also makes great toast.

Mum says: this freezes extremely well, and can be given a just-baked Lazarus effect by defrosting overnight, replacing in its loaf tin and being put into a preheated 180˚C / 355˚F oven for about 10 minutes. Don't let it burn!

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