Yogurt soda bread

Very easy to make this bread, tasty, with a crispy thick crust, irresistable when it comes out of the oven.

1. In a large bowl, mix 500gm whole grain flour (wheat/rye/spelt/quinoa/millet etc) with 350gm of plain yogurt (made from only milk and culture, without thickeners and chemical ingredients ), or buttermilk/whey. Mix into a dough, cover with a lid and leave at room temperature (around 20+ degree) for 12 to 24 hours. This soaking removes enzyme inhibitor in the flour, making it more healthy for us to eat. The use of yogurt gives the bread a sweet fermented taste.

2. After soaking, mix 10 gm baking soda with around 30gm flour and 1 small teaspoon of fine salt.  Preheat oven to 200˚C.

3. Take the dough out onto a clean surface, knead the soda/flour mixture in as fast as possible, within 1 to 2 minutes. Baking soda reacts with acidic yogurt to produce air bubbles very fast.

4. Shape into a ball and sprinkle flour all over. Put the dough on a piece of baking paper, use a thin long knife, cut a deep cross into the dough, at least 1/2 of the thickness, sprinkle more flour inside the cuts.

5. Carefully place in the pre-heated oven, bake for 40 minutes.