Another foolproof simple recipe (theme emerging....)
OK so not a true bread, but this one is a staple in our house, takes 5 minutes to knock together and 35 minutes to bake.
It’s a sweetened fruit soda bread, makes 2 small loaves (two if it’s a 1 pound tin size or one big one). Use whatever fruit you like. And it’s not like some soda breads I’ve made that have a lot of baking powder and you feel the enamel on your teeth squeaking. This is like a massive sliced scone that you eat as it is or you can toast it. And it always turns out well.
So. Oven on, fan 180C.
In a bowl pour in 500g self raising flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 150g dried fruit (I use half cranberries half raisins), 125g sugar (I use Demerara as I like the flavour).
Give the dry ingredients a quick stir to combine. Then add 475mls of milk and stir until all the floury bits are combined and it looks like thick porridge. I make this for dairy free also and almond milk or oat milk work brilliantly. (I realise some purists will think it should be buttermilk or curdled milk etc but I genuinely can’t be bothered and it turns out great)
Rub some butter inside the baking tins to stop it sticking, split the mixture across the two tins and it should look like this....

Told you it only took 5 minutes.
Now bang it in the middle of the now hot oven (180c fan) for 35 minutes and find something else to do for half an hour.
And then they should look something like this.....

I let these cool (easy to say, tough to do) and then slice them like a loaf and freeze them. They are great for breakfast or as a snack toasted with butter, jam...
Sometimes they don’t make it to the freezer, especially the first and last slice (what I’ve always known as the ‘heels’?) as they are crispy and crunchy and just plain fantastic.
Dead easy, cannot-go-wrong (honestly) and delish. And about as easy to make as a cuppa. If you’ve never baked much, try these.
Go on, give them a go
