Easy Irish Soda Bread

This is my version of a recipe taken from Clodagh McKenna's The Irish Farmers Market Cookbook. I omitted the wheat bran from my recipe, however like all bread recipes, once you become comfortable with recipe you can change the recipe to suit your tastes. This bread is so easy to make that it could very easily become your stable. The quantity is for two 2lb loaves. It is easy to half/double this recipe to suit yourself and your needs, though considering the cooking times it may be easier to make more and freeze up the excess.

Ingredients:
1lb wholemeal flour
2 1/4oz wheatgerm
2 1/4oz plain flour
8oz pinhead oatmeal
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp bread soda/Bicarbonate of soda
1ltr buttermilk
Butter/Margerine for greasing the tins
Seeds for toping, ie white sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 230'C
2. Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl except for the plain flour and bread soda, which should be sieved together into the bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the buttermilk retaining 100ml or so. Mix well. Add the last 100ml to the point where the mixture is wet but will retain knife mark. It is a wet dough but should not be sloppy.
3. Grease the loaf tins right to the top and dust with seeds. Divide dough between tins and sprinkle more seeds on top. "Cut" a line on the top with a knife.
4. Place in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes until well risen, then lower the temperature to 140'C for at least one hour. At this temperature the bread cooks slowly but steadily. After one hour you can remove it from the oven and the tin. If you tap the base it should have a hollow sound. If you are unsure if it is is suffienciently cooked it is possible to put is back in the oven, either in the tin or as it is. As the temperature is so low you can leave the loaf in the oven for up to a half an hour more as it will not burn.
 5. When the bread is finished remove from the oven and wrap in a clean tea towel.