Wholemeal Yoghurt Soda Bread

📝 Ingredients

• 175 g wholemeal flour
• 135 g plain flour (125 g for the dough, 10 g for the work surface)
• 30 g rolled oats (25 g in the dough, 5 g for the top)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (5 g)
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 250 g plain whole-milk yoghurt (2 pots of 125 g)
• 100 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 400 g 0% fat quark (to serve)
• 4 tbsp jam (about 80 g, to serve)

🍴 Utensils

• Large mixing bowl
• Bowl and whisk
• Spatula
• Baking tray and baking paper
• Wire rack
• Clean tea towel

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine the wholemeal flour, 125 g plain flour, 25 g rolled oats, the bicarbonate of soda and the salt, crushing any lumps of bicarbonate with your fingertips.
2. Whisk the yoghurt with the milk in a bowl until smooth and runny. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in this mixture all at once, without waiting.
3. Mix quickly with a spatula, or with one hand curled into a claw, just until no dry flour remains, about 30 s. The dough should be sticky and shaggy: don't knead it, or the bread will be dense. Work quickly, as the bicarbonate starts reacting as soon as it touches the yoghurt.
4. Dust the work surface with the remaining 10 g flour, tip the dough onto it and fold it over itself two or three times to form a rough ball. Place it on the tray and flatten it slightly to about 4 cm thick.
5. With a floured knife, cut a deep cross across the whole width of the loaf, halfway through its thickness, so the heat reaches the centre. Sprinkle with the remaining 5 g oats, pressing them lightly so they stick.
6. Bake for 15 min at 220 °C, then lower to 200 °C and continue for 25 min, until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. If in doubt, give it another 5 min: underbaked, it stays doughy in the middle.
7. Leave to cool for at least 30 min on a wire rack, wrapped in a clean tea towel to keep the crust soft. If you cut it while it's too hot, the crumb is sticky and gets squashed by the knife.
8. Slice the bread and serve each portion with 100 g quark and a spoonful of jam for spreading. On the following days, toast the slices in the toaster to make them crisp again.