1. Set oven temperature to 425°F, or 220°C. Use a little dusting of flour or parchment paper to coat a baking sheet.
Add the salt, baking soda, and flour to a large basin and stir until well combined.
Third, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk into the well you have made in the middle. To make a soft dough that is neither too sticky nor too moist, combine the flour and buttermilk with a fork and whisk until just mixed.
4. Place the dough on a surface that has been gently dusted with flour. To form a circular loaf, lightly knead the dough a few times. If you over-knead the dough, the bread will turn out rough.
5. Once the baking sheet is ready, lay the dough on top. With a sharp knife, cut a deep X into the top, about an inch deep. Doing so ensures that the bread cooks evenly throughout.
6. After 30 to 40 minutes of preheating the oven, check that the bread is golden brown and hollow when tapped.
Slice the loaf when it has cooled for 10 minutes on a wire rack, which you should do after removing it from the oven. Hot is the way to go.
Tips and Variations: - To make it a little sweeter, mix in a tablespoon or two of sugar with the dry ingredients.
- A If you want to make your bread taste more like you, feel free to add raisins, dried cranberries, or caraway seeds.
- A Quickly swap 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with 1 3/4 cups of milk and let it settle for 5 minutes if you don't have buttermilk on hand.
- A Toasting leftover bread the next day is a delicious use for it, and it keeps well in an airtight container.
- A The handcrafted quality and affection that goes into each mouthful are more important than whether or not the bread is flawless. Have fun, everyone!
