1. Pre heat the oven to 210º/200º fan.
2. Sift the flour and the bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.
3. Cube the butter and add to the flour, alongside the teaspoon of salt.
4. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
5. Pour in the buttermilk and use a pallete knife or spoon to begin combining the ingredients.
6. Once a craggy dough has formed, begin to use your hands to gently bring the dough together.
7. If the dough is a little dry, add a little milk or plain youghurt to ensure that the ingredients bind.
8. Shape into a round, approximately 4"-5" across, and 3" in height. Do not knead the dough.
9. Place onto a floured baking sheet and score a deep cross in the middle of the round dough. According to Irish folklore, this cross was designed to release the fairies and ward off evil spirits - we now know that this helps the dough to both rise and also cook evenly all the way through.
10. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the base of the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
11. Cover the loaf with a tea towel and allow to cool, then serve alongside your favourite meals, as toast, as a sandwich or however preferred.

Top Tips...

• A standard carton of buttermilk is 284ml; you can top this up by adding a milk or natural yoghurt.
• Try different variations of these bread by adding herbs and spices, chopped chives, grated parmesan or chopped sundried tomatoes. The possibilities are endless!
• To make this bread vegan, use plant based butter and a plant based buttermilk in place of the dairy products.
• Wholemeal flour can be replaced with white flour if preferred.