1 tb Butter, softened
4 c All-purpose flour
1 ts Baking soda
1 ts Salt
1 1/2 c Buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425. With a pastry brush coat a baking sheet
evenly with the tablespoon of softened butter. Sift the flour, soda
and salt together into a deep mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of the
buttermilk, beating constantly with a large spoon until the dough is
firm enough to be gathered into a ball . If the dough crumbles, beat
up to 1/2 cup more buttermilk into it by the tablespoon until the
particles adhere.
Place the dough on a lightly floured board and pat and shape it into
a flat circular loaf about 8″ in diameter and 1 1/2 ” thick. Set he
loaf on the baking sheet. Then with the tip of a small knife cut a
1/2″ deep X into the dough,dividing the top of the loaf into quarters.
Bake the brad int the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes or
until the top is golden brown.
There are a couple of variations on this. You can add 1 cup currants
or raisins with the flour. Also you can sprinkle the top of the loaf
with caraway seeds.
Yields
1 8in loaf