Preheat the oven to 200°C

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl

Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk, stirring as you go, if necessary, add a splash of milk to bring the mixture together; the dough will be soft but not too sticky

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly for 1 minute. You need to move quickly now to get it into the oven while the bicarb is active

Place the dough into a lightly greased non-stick loaf pan - 15 x 27cm

Slice the pears lengthways and place in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and mix to coat

Using a sharp knife, cut evenly placed slits in the top of the dough; insert 2-3 slices of pear and a twig of rosemary into each slit in the dough

Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack if you like a crunchy crust, or wrap in a clean tea towel if you prefer a soft crust. Soda bread is best eaten while still warm, spread with butter and/or a dollop of your favourite jam