Cheesy Sodabread

All children love playing with dough, and with this Irish soda bread dough you can be as creative as you like. I often leave out the herbs; sometimes I leave out the cheese and replace the herbs with a handful of chopped milk or dark chocolate, or even raisins or dried cranberries. These scones can be cut into any shapes that your little ones like, though if handled and kneaded too much they will get slightly tough.

MAKES ABOUT 16 SCONES VEGETARIAN

450g (1lb) plain white flour

1 level tsp salt

1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley or chives

400ml (14fl oz) buttermilk or sour milk (to sour milk, add 3 generous tbsp natural yoghurt or juice from 1/2 lemon to 400ml/14fl oz fresh milk)

About 75g (3oz) Cheddar or Gruy?re cheese, grated

1 Preheat the oven to 250°C (475°F), Gas mark 9.

2 Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl, then mix in the chopped herbs. Make a well in the centre. Pour in all the milk at once. Using one hand, with your fingers outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl. The dough should be softish, though not too wet and sticky.

3 When the dough comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Pat the dough until it is about 2cm (3/4in) thick. Cut into round or square shapes about the size of a scone, then place on a floured baking tray. Generously sprinkle each sodabread scone with the grated cheese.

4 Place the tray in the oven. Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on size) until golden and sounding hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn the oven down to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6 after 10 minutes if they are already golden.

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