Citylife in Lichfield October 2021

Cheese and
Onion Soda
Bread
By Ruth Redgate
.........................
After last month’s
lengthy recipe, we
switch to a quick and
easy soda bread that can be
ready to eat in just over an
hour, flavoured with cheese
and onion (can be made
vegan friendly).
Ingredients
400g plain flour (you can use
wholemeal or a combination
of the two) plus extra to dust
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or mustard powder
125g of onions (red, white or spring onions) chopped
125g cheese/vegan cheese (coarsely grated)
300ml buttermilk (if you cannot get buttermilk just add
1tbsp of lemon juice to milk or if making a vegan option use
soya milk - it curdles better)
1 tbsp milk/soya milk, to glaze
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 and prepare
a baking tray with a light dusting of flour.
2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cayenne
pepper/mustard powder into a mixing bowl. Stir in most of
the onions and cheese, keeping a little back for the top of the
loaf. I like to keep back about 25g of each.
3. Add enough buttermilk to bring the dough together into a
clean ball. Add a little extra milk if needed, especially if you
have used wholemeal flour.
4. Shape into a round (approx 18cm) and place on the
prepared tray. Mark the loaf into quarters, cutting almost all
the way through the dough. Brush with a little milk, then
scatter the remaining onions and cheese on top.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the loaf is crisp and sounds
hollow. Cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before
eating.
Best eaten on the day of baking however leftovers can be
frozen or reheated the next day.
Ruth Redgate owns and operates Hunnypot Cottage Bakery.
To find out more, or to order freshly baked bread and other
products, visit the website at
www.hunnypotcottagebakery.co.uk.
Dining Out - A City of Flavours