This is an easy and delicious soda bread made with treacle and Guinness which give it that distinctive dark crumb and lovely flavour. Prefect to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients

• 200g wholemeal flour
• 160g plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 100ml Guinness
• 200ml buttermilk
• 60ml sunflower oil
• 100g treacle
• Oat flakes for topping

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Grease the loaf tin well with a little oil.
3. Sieve the plain flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
4. Then add in the wholemeal flour, salt and sugar
5. Whisk together the buttermilk oil and treacle and pour into the dry ingredients.
6. whisk together until just combined. The mixture should be wet.
7. Pour into the bread tin.
8. Scatter some oat flakes on top .
9. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until firm.
10. You may have to turn the oven down to 180°C if the bread is getting too dark.