SODA BREAD FRESH AIR STYLE

well it was the annual fete at the local parish church and as usual we always go to the car boot that they have along with the tractor rides and cake stall and bottle stall and the bread making and the plant stall and all the rest that go on for the day - well we packed the car up and headed off and it was starting to spit and then a light drizzel and by the time i had went the 3 miles to the venue it was emptying. Loopylou had her hubby put up the gazebo for us but it really didn't make that much of a difference so we called it a day and loopylou headed home.
We on the other hand went to see how granny was getting on at the bread making and as you can see i was already wet a little more rain wouldn't hurt.

we went to where they were making soda bread and as you can see we are pretty well set out for outside catering!!!!

Addy just loves to help and here he is checking that i am mixing it right and in the back ground you can see the hobs that my dad made over the years, these are gas and this suits griddles well as we can regulate the heat better

the lady beside me is my mum and she taught me many years ago to make soda farls and wheaten farls and pancakes on the griddle and as this is a dying art we love doing demonstrations at fete and traction engine rallies and people love to tell the stories from their childhood when most homes had a griddle and made soda and pancakes every day but now because most of the shops and supermarkets carry it now and people don't have the same time not many people make their own any more. Another great thing of the griddle is potato bread but that is for another day !!!!

A big thankyou has to go to Mr Spence at Neills Flour for sponsoring the soda bread flour and in the bowl i have soda bread flour and buttermilk and a handful of sultanas and a good teaspoon of syrup and all you do is mix until it comes together and then turn it out onto a floured surface

then you lightly kneed it into a round and roll out till just under half an inch thick, cut into four farls and then place into a heated griddle and then wait and enjoy the smell

the farls will start to raise and when they have formed a skin and are nice and golden brown on the bottom they are ready to turn , below is plain soda farls cooking and the smell is wonderful

and this is what they look like when they are cooked and when we do these outdoor events there is always a great demand for this as you can't beat fresh soda with a spread of butter and a big mug of tea.

so we might not have done to well at the carboot but we had great criac at the bread making !