‘Garam’ Soda Bun

These are brilliant with soups, but I prefer them spread thickly with jam or generously doused with my saffron honey as a quick and healthy snack!

What you need

Makes about 15 buns or a little more than a 1lb loaf tin

Ingredients

625ml buttermilk, or 600ml of full-fat milk with the juice of half a lemon

30ml water

30g dark muscovado

1 large hen egg

50g golden linseed

450g coarse wholemeal flour

75g pinhead oatmeal

10g sea salt

10g bicarbonate of soda, sieved into the flour so there are no lumps and it’s evenly distributed

Turn your oven to 180˚C
In a bowl, dissolve the Muscovado sugar in the water, crushing the big lumps, then crack the eggs into the mixture and lightly whisk to combine
In a separate, larger mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, then make a well in the centre
Pour all the liquids into the well, make a ‘claw’ shape with your hand (like those fairground crane games) and with a light touch only just combine all the ingredients to form a loose dough or batter
Grease the divots of a brioche or muffin mould with a little sunflower oil and pour in the batter, smoothing off the top, flush with the mould.
Pop into your oven and bake for about 1 hour and 15minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when you tap its base. Maybe check on them after 50minutes. Enjoy!

The buns or loaves will keep well for 1 week in a tin or bread bin