Irish Wheaten Bread. 

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz plain wholemeal flour
• 250g/9oz plain white flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 420ml/15fl oz buttermilk
• extra flour for dusting

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the two types of flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
3. Add the buttermilk and mix until a sticky dough forms.
4. Lightly flour a work surface and tip the dough onto it. 
5. Gently roll and fold the dough a couple of times to bring the mixture together. Do not knead. 
6. Shape the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball gently with your hand. Score the dough with a deep cross dividing it into quarters. Dust the bread with flour.
7. Place onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and bake for 30 minutes at 200C/400F/Gas 6. The loaf should be golden-brown.
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack. This is best eaten on the day of baking.

Viking Bread.

Recipe:

The recipe is based on an analysis of Viking Age bread, found in Birka, Sweden.

Ingredients:
About 150 g barley flour
About 50 g wholemeal flour
2 tsp crushed flax seeds
About 100 ml water
2 tsp lard or butter
A pinch of salt

Method:

Work all the ingredients together
into a dough and knead.

Let the dough rest cold for at leastone hour, preferably longer. If left for longer, natural yeast in the atmosphere will start to work on the dough and add to the proving process.

Shape the dough into flat cakes.

Bake them in a dry cast iron pan on the stove over
medium heat, a few minutes on each
side, or in the oven at 170 degrees, for
10--12 minutes.

Best eaten while warm. Looks rotten. Good luck with that one !!