Sometimes you want a lovely fresh loaf of home-made bread but you don’t always have the time for all the kneading and proving it can involve. On days like that I make a soda bread round. Bish, bash, bosh – it’s mixed, baked and ready to eat in just over half an hour.
I’ve not made a cheese soda bread loaf before – or even found a recipe for one anywhere – but you just know it’s one of those things that’s going to be a success!
It’s definitely one to try!
It’s lovely fresh out of the oven with a generous spread of butter. Good with pâté too – and cheese of course.
It also makes great toast and the bread’s flavour combines very well with all kinds of breakfast ingredients – bacon, sausages, beans, mushrooms. Or one of our favourites – a simple poached egg.
Cheese soda bread
Ingredients
- 200 g/7oz plain flour
- 150 g/5oz wholemeal flour
- 50 g/2oz wheatgerm
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 30 g/1oz butter cubed
- 300 g/10½oz buttermilk
- 100 g/3½oz mature cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC/430ºF/Gas mark 7
- Grease a large baking tray and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients well
- Rub the butter into the flour mix before making a well in the centre
- Pour the buttermilk into the well and begin bringing the flour from the edge of the bowl towards the centre using a spatula or dough scraper
- Add the grated cheddar and knead the dough into a ball, trying not overwork
- Put the dough on to the baking tray, make a deep cross on the top using the dough scraper or large sharp knife
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on the top
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving