Fruit & spice soda bread

• rolled porridge oat↗100g g
• butter↗25g g

  diced

• plain flour↗200g g
• plain wholemeal flour↗200g g

  plus extra for dusting

• caster sugar↗100g g
• bicarbonate of soda↗1 tsp tsp
• mixed spice1 ½ tsp tsp
• raisin↗50g g
• sultana↗50g g
• stoned date50g g

  finely chopped

• mixed peel↗3 tbsp tbsp
• buttermilk↗450ml ml
• 3-4 tbsp demerara sugar tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Whizz the porridge oats and butter together in a food processor, or rub the butter into the oats with your fingertips in a big bowl. Stir in the flours, caster sugar, bicarb, mixed spice, 1 tsp salt, the raisins, sultanas, dates and mixed peel.

2. 2

   Pour over the buttermilk and quickly stir in with a round-bladed knife. Tip out onto a flour-dusted surface and gently bring together into a ball with your hands. Transfer to a flour-dusted baking sheet and scatter over the demerara sugar, pressing it into the top. Use a sharp, flour-dusted knife to cut a big cross in the top and bake for 30-35 mins until crusty on the outside. Eat warm or cold, thickly sliced, with butter.