Scottish Wheat Bannock Bread

A recipe from Nova Scotia that is called both Scottish bannock and Irish soda bread.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (950 ml) whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup (120 ml) white granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk
  • 4 tbsp butter, cut into pea-sized cubes
Scottish Wheat Bannock Bread

Photo: Carl Steinbeißer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Procedure

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
  2. Combine dry ingredients. Rub in butter until crumbly.
  3. Mix in buttermilk to make a soft, workable dough. Knead dough briefly.
  4. Make dough into a disc about 3 inches thick. Cut an X shape in dough with a knife (1 cm or so deep). Transfer to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 50–70 minutes (depending on your oven) until a skewer stuck in comes out with no “gooeyness” on it
  6. Let cool 5–10 minutes after taking from the oven, then break apart with your hands into serving-sized chunks.

Notes, tips, and variations

  • Optionally mix in blueberries, raisins, or cinnamon to taste.