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Unleavened Bread

Banwy, Powys

Mrs Jones, Farmers, cutting the loaf

This unleavened bread was commonly prepared as a stop gap when the week’s supply of bread fell short before the regular baking day.  The ingredients varied slightly, according to local custom – water was used as an alternative to buttermilk for mixing it, and sugar and currants were optional extras in some areas.  The name by which it was known was closely linked with these ingredients, e.g. bara llaeth enwyn (buttermilk bread – Crug-y-bar), bara soda (soda bread – Pennant, Llanbryn Mair), bara trw’r dŵr (bread through water – Abergorlech), or it was simply known as bara crai (Aberaeron), or bara cri (unleavened bread – Bont Dolgadfan).

Bread

The Recipe

You will need

  • one pound plain, white flour
  • half a teaspoonful salt
  • half a teaspoonful bicarbonate of soda
  • half a pint buttermilk
  • (a few currants, optional)

Method

  1. Put the flour in a bowl and work in the salt and currants. 
  2. Dissolve the soda in the warm buttermilk and pour it gradually into the flour. 
  3. Mix all together to make a soft dough. 
  4. Knead it lightly and turn it out on to a floured board. 
  5. Shape the dough into a round flat loaf, rolling it lightly with a rolling pin. 
  6. Put the loaf on a greased, hot bakestone or heavy frying pan and bake until the surface begins to harden. 
  7. Turn and bake on the other side.

Upper Banwy, Montgomeryshire.

Comments (3)

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E Sue Brown
29 September 2021, 12:56
I can’t wait to try this recipe as it sounds delicious. Only problem is what temperature in the oven and for how long. Thank you. I’m an American so if you could make it Fahrenheit I’d appreciate it
Mari Gwilym, CAERNARFON
9 August 2021, 15:52
.....gobeithio nad wyf wedi tramgwyddo o ran hawlfraint neu unrhywbeth arall, OND,
RWYF WEDI RHOI COPI O RYSAIT 'bARA cRAI Dyffryn Banwy' i Raglen John ac Alun BBC Radio Cymru.
Gobeithio nad oes ots gan yr Amgueddfa !
dIOLCH YN FAWR ! - mARI g.
Robyn Kemp
27 June 2021, 12:20
I was given this recipe by one of the parents of the Kindergarten children I was teaching in Tasmania. It was for a boiled fruitcake. The recipe said to add 1 cup of sultanas and two eggs, sprinkle some skinned almonds into the mix and place almonds on top of the cake in a pattern. Everyone loves it! Can’t wait to make your bread.
Many Thanks,
Robyn, Sydney, Australia