Cheddar and Bacon Soda bread

If you need a fabulously tasty loaf of bread quickly this is a great recipe!





Ingredients;



500g plain white flour


5g salt


4 tsp baking powder


about 300ml milk


100g grated hard cheese


150g lardons



Turn your oven on to 200 degrees C.



Combine all of the ingredient except the milk in your Kitchenaid stand mixed or similar (if you want to do it by hand I'm sure someone can tell you how!)



Add the milk until you have a smooth dough that you can pick up without it sticking to your hands (about 3 minutes). If you overdo it on the milk just add more flour.



On a floured surface make the dough into a ball by folding the edges into the center and turning as you do this. Turn it over and slice a cross in the top of your dough, I do it about half way through the cooked loaf is easy to pull apart into 4 chunks.



Place in the oven on a baking tray (not too high as it will rise dramatically) and leave it there for 25 minutes.



To check it's done, tap the bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow, if not turn the oven off and pop it back in for 5 minutes.



You can add whatever you like to this recipe, sometimes I throw in a spring onion too.



I might try orange and walnut next time instead, any other alternatives for ingredients please suggest below :)



Hope you enjoy it!



James

If you haven't got soured milk, just put some lemon juice in and wait a few minutes.

I made some cheese scones with my Lidl cheddar yesterday and did just that. It gives a lighter result.

Also try not to handle the mixture too much, so mix using a round-bladed knife.

You can't leave the mixture hanging around, it must go straight into the oven.

Sainsbury's do a wonderful soda bread mix with Scofa flour.

I've tried making sourdough bread but haven't got the hang of it yet. I've even gone so far as to buy the buttermilk and then not get round to making the bread before it goes off. Shame!

Other ingredients could be dried fig (to go with foie gras), chorizo and onion, or perhaps raisins.

Substitute shredded sundried tomatoes for the lardons to give a similar but veggie-friendly result. Black olives also work a treat. Try using wholewheat or type 110 flour. And fermented milk is better - or use soured milk or yoghurt…