I generally just guess the measurements. I've been doing it for a while now and it adds a bit of variety to my bread eating experience! However, it is the Ballymaloe recipe that I first learnt so I will give you that recipe. This is for Spot of Dog. For regular white bread, you can leave out the sultanas & sugar. The egg makes the loaf a little richer. This makes a small loaf!

Method:

• Have your oven preheated to approx 200 C.
• I always mix using my hands.
• A great trick is to only use one hand once you've added the liquid.
• This gives you a clean hand to rectify any mistakes!
• Put all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix with hand being sure to aerate the flour by lifting it and allowing it to fall back into the bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk - all at once if you're sure of the quantity.
• Mix using one hand and hold the bowl with the other, try and achieve this in 4 or 5 good sweeps so as not to over mix.
• The mixture should come together easily without it being too wet.
• Scrape directly onto a floured baking tray - this where the clean hand is useful.
• Cut a cross in it the full length and width of the loaf and spike each quarter with your knife to let the fairy's out (just as important as with mum's loaf!)
• Pop into the oven and reduce temp to 180 C after 10 minutes.
• Cook for approx. half an hour.