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(Photo: John Cullen)
Ward off the chill with a steaming bowl of soup and fresh-from-the-oven bread. This tempting, hearty recipe is surprisingly easy – and totally satisfying.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups lightly packed, coarsely grated cheddar
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Position oven rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat to 400F. Spray 2 8 × 4-in. loaf pans. Stir flours with baking soda, herbs and salt in a large bowl until combined. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work butter into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form. Stir in cheese. Pour in buttermilk and stir just until combined.
Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a loaf about 7 in. long. Place in prepared pans.
Bake in bottom third of oven until tops of loaves are deep golden, 35 to 45 min. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 10 min. Run a knife around inside edge of each pan, then turn loaves out onto rack to cool completely. Soda bread keeps well for up to 2 days.
Calories 247, Protein 10g, Carbohydrates 31g, Fat 10g, Fibre 3g, Sodium 417mg.