A demonstration of how to make Irish griddle bread, traditionally cooked over the open fire in the main room of the country house.
RTÉ Television's young people's programme 'Anything Goes' is on location at Bunratty Folk Park in County Clare. In the 19th century style kitchen, Eithne O'Donovan gives a demonstration of how to make griddle bread. She uses plain flour salt, baking powder, bread soda and sour milk.
You could use ordinary milk but the sour milk makes it come out much nicer, makes it lighter.
Eithne mixes the ingredients in a bowl by hand. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. If it gets too wet Eithne adds more flour and she knows by the feel of the mixture when it is ready.
The finished dough is turned out onto a board and kneaded into a circle shape. It is then cut into four segments, ready to be cooked on the griddle. The cast iron griddle pan is heated by embers over an open fire. The bread is regularly turned to ensure both sides are baked and this process should take about 20 minutes.
Bread and cakes such as Christmas cakes can also be cooked in a bastible oven, similarly heated by embers. This method of cooking takes about 40 minutes.
You put your bread inside and you put your lid on top and the embers on top of the lid and that bakes the bread through.
Some children volunteer to sample the freshly made griddle bread. Only Noelette is familiar with the taste as her mother makes it on the range at home.
This episode of 'Anything Goes’ was broadcast on 1 March 1986. The presenter is Mary FitzGerald.
