Chocolate-Chip Soda Bread

You don’t have to prove soda bread, so it’s quick and simple to make. This version, packed with chocolate and nuts, is an ideal treat for morning, with a cup of tea and a little butter.

Ingredients

  • 80g blanched hazelnuts
  • 1 large free-range egg
  • 1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk
  • 500 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
  • 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 75 g quality dark chocolate chips (70%)
  • 300 ml buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon oats

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
  2. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until lightly golden, then crush with a pestle and mortar.
  3. Whisk the egg and milk in a small bowl. Sift the flour and bicarb into a large mixing bowl, then stir in half of the toasted nuts, the chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt.
  4. Make a well in the middle and pour in the eggy milk, then mix in enough of the buttermilk to bring it together into a ball of dough.
  5. Knead on a floured surface for a few seconds, pat into a 15cm round and place on a non-stick baking tray.
  6. Cut a deep cross in the top, then scatter over the oats and remaining nuts.
  7. Bake for 40 minutes, reducing the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6 after 15 minutes. Turn the bread over and bake for 5 more minutes, or until it sounds hollow when the base is tapped. Enjoy while still warm.
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