Cakes & Bakes: Wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread

Wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread

We’re lucky enough to have lots of wild garlic growing in parts of our garden. Before moving, we used to carefully forage in the wild for a few leaves to make pesto and garlic butter. Now that we have so much of it, we’ll be using it to make so much more… beginning with this wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread.

Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl Wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl

This year, for some reason, we’ve left it a little late to harvest. Leaves should be picked before the flowers come into bloom; which generally happens in early May. If you’re picking in the wild, try to pick only a couple of leaves from each plant. Don’t exhaust the plant or leave massive bald patches in the woodland floor; don’t pick more than you need. For this recipe, you only need a handful… only about a dozen or so leaves.

Chopped wild garlic and goats cheese on wooden chopping boards Wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread before being cooked

The goats cheese I used was quite a wet, gooey one, but you could always use a more crumbly-textured kind. The flavours of the wild garlic and goats cheese really complement each other. While it was cooking, the cheesy, garlicky smell engulfing the kitchen was mouth-watering!

I like it still warm from the oven, with just a bit of butter spread over – melting into the crumb. Justin thinks it’s delicious as an accompaniment to poached eggs, bacon or cooked ham.

Cooked wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread boule

Click here or on the image below to save my wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread recipe to Pinterest

Homemade wild garlic and goats cheese soda bread recipe

Wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread

Wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread

Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine British
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 350 ml/12fl oz buttermilk or 330ml/11½fl oz full cream milk with the juice of a lemon stirred in
  • 200 g/7oz wholemeal flour
  • 200 g/7 oz plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100 g/3½oz goats cheese cubed
  • handful of wild garlic leaves finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 5
  • Grease & line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, bicarb and salt
  • Add the cubed goats cheese and chopped wild garlic leaves and toss to combine. Make a well in the middle
  • Pour in the buttermilk and bring the dough together. Don't overwork
  • Empty the dough out on to a well-floured work surface and form into a ball. Again don't overwork
  • Put the dough ball on to the prepared baking sheet. Score with a deep cross on top
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is a lovely golden brown
  • Take off the baking sheet on to a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes
  • Slice and serve warm
Wild garlic & goats cheese soda bread ingredients
If you don't have buttermilk, make something similar by stirring the juice of a lemon into full fat milk and allowing it to sit for about ½ an hour before use
Keyword bread, cheese,, forage, goats cheese, soda bread

Cakes & Bakes: Mini seedy soda breads

Mini seedy soda breads

If you fancy making fresh bread, but don’t have the time to wait for the yeast to rise… twice… soda bread is a convenient option. These mini seedy soda breads are a great breakfast component; slice, butter and fill them with fried/poached/scrambled eggs, bacon, kippers or smoked mackerel.

Dry ingredients Wet and dry ingredients

If you can’t get hold of buttermilk – our local supermarket sells out on a regular basis – you can always make similar by stirring in the juice of one lemon to about 280ml of full fat milk. Leave the mixture to ‘curdle’ for about 10 minutes before adding it to your dry mixture.

Divided soda bread dough Mini soda bread dough balls

I used black sesame seeds in my recipe as they’re what I had in the cupboard at the time. Brown sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, flax or a mixture would work equally well.

Mini seedy soda breads

Click here or on the image below to save this mini seedy soda breads recipe to Pinterest

Mini seedy soda breads recipe

Mini seedy soda breads

Mini seedy soda breads

Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine British
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 350/12 oz plain or strong bread flour
  • 100 g/3½oz medium oatmeal
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 40 g/1½oz cold butter cubed
  • 300 ml/10½fl oz buttermilk
  • 30 g/1oz sesame seeds or mixed seeds

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 5
  • Grease & line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt
  • Rub in the butter
  • Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Bring the mixture together to form a dough ball. Don't over-mix
  • Place the ball on to a well-floured worktop and divide into 6 equal pieces
  • One by one, lightly roll each piece into a ball and dip the 'top' of the ball into the seeds. If necessary, spritz the balls with water to help the seeds stick to the surface
  • Put the balls on the prepared tray, score the top of each ball with a cross and bake for 30-40 minutes until the tops are brown and well risen
  • Allow to cool on a wire rack. Eat warm
Mini seedy soda breads ingredients
Keyword bread, seeds, sesame seeds, soda bread

Cakes & Bakes: Paul Welburn’s black treacle soda bread

Paul Welburn's black treacle soda bread

This black treacle soda bread is like a cross between malt loaf and parkin.

Black treacle dry & wet ingredients

It’s the kind of soda bread that really suits the autumn; I could imagine eating it… in a pre-Covid world… at a bonfire firework display in the cold outdoors. It’s filling, warming, sweet and comforting.

Black treacle soda bread dough in a baking tin

As usual, I had to halve the recipe as it’s just the two of us. Personally, next time, I’d use about half the quantity of treacle and a tad less salt too… but that’s just me.

Black treacle soda bread cooling on a wire rack

In the original recipe, the bread was made to accompany gin and tonic-cured salmon. Not something I’d eat, but what to eat it with instead? I’ve had it smeared with butter however, I’d imagine it would also be good with smoked or maple bacon.

Click here or on the image below to save this black treacle soda bread recipe to Pinterest

Black treacle soda bread recipe

Black treacle soda bread
Serves 8
Cook Time
40 min
Cook Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 600g wholemeal flour
  2. 350g jumbo rolled oats
  3. 25g salt
  4. ½tsp baking powder
  5. 1½tsp bicarbonate of soda
  6. 375g black treacle
  7. 600ml buttermilkPaul Welburn's black treacle soda bread ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C/350ºF/Gas mark 4
  2. Mix all of the ingredients except the buttermilk in a mixer until just incorporated, it will be quite wet
  3. Add the buttermilk and mix well
  4. Transfer to a shallow tin and bake for 35-40 minutes
  5. Allow to cool on a wire rack
Notes
  1. I used an equal quantity of whole-milk yoghurt instead of the buttermilk. You can also make your own buttermilk by stirring 2 tablespoons lemon juice into 600ml/20 fl oz whole milk
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H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: Keto soda bread

Home-made keto soda bread | H is for Home

This keto soda bread is my favourite ketogenic bread that I’ve made to date. I think it’s because it’s naturally sweet… and is gorgeous toasted with a big pat of butter on top.

Keto soda bread dry ingredients with cubed butter added | H is for Home Keto soda bread dry ingredients with cubed butter added | H is for Home

It’s made using the same method as traditional soda bread. However, the wheat flour is exchanged for  half & half almond and coconut flour. I’ve also swapped the buttermilk for half & half full fat Greek yoghurt and full fat milk… because it contains more fat. Finally, I added and egg to help bind it all together.

Keto soda bread ready for the oven | H is for Home

You need to bring the dough ball together quite tightly as the finished loaf can be very crumbly. That’s why I recommend that you wait until it’s completely cooled before you attempt to slice it. I know, the waiting is difficult!

Home-made keto soda bread | H is for Home

Justin had a portion toasted with egg, bacon and tomato. I had it toasted just with an egg, over easy. Tomorrow I’ll try it with cheese on toast or sliced avocado.

Slices of buttered keto soda bread with egg, bacon and grilled tomato | H is for Home

If you want to try my recipe, you can save it to Pinterest.

Home-made keto soda bread | H is for Home

Keto soda bread
Serves 8
Cook Time
35 min
Cook Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 150g/5¼oz almond flour
  2. 150g/5¼oz coconut flour
  3. 1tsp cream of tartar
  4. 1tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  5. pinch of salt
  6. 50g/1¾oz cold butter, cubed
  7. 150g/5¼oz full fat Greek yoghurt
  8. 1 egg, beaten
  9. 150ml/5¼fl oz whole milkKetogenic soda bread ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 5
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, removing any lumps
  4. Rub in the cubed butter and make a well in the centre
  5. Pour in the yoghurt, milk and beaten egg and knead to a soft dough. Bring together and shape into a round
  6. Place on the prepared baking tray and, using a sharp knife, mark with a deep cross
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is a lovely golden brown
  8. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before breaking off chunks or slicing or it will crumble
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H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/