Cheddar & Dill Soda Bread
I have combined my two favorite Ina Garten recipes to make this savory quick bread! It is a combo of the famous Hamptons Barefoot Contessa Cheddar Dill Scones & Ina’s classic Irish Soda Bread. I don’t add butter to my Soda Bread (don’t gasp) and this just simply because I don’t think it is needed for texture or flavor! Do smear some salted butter on a warm slice and serve with a hearty winter dinner. I guarantee there won’t be leftovers!
Ingredients
4 Cups AP Flour + more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons Sea Salt
2 cups of Organic Buttermilk, ice cold & well shaken
1 Organic Egg
2 Cups Extra Sharp English Cheddar - thinly grated and kept in the fridge
If you don’t use extra sharp Cheddar then you will be missing a lot of that cheddar flavor in the bake. At the market look for extra sharp English cheddar, it is always the strongest!
1 Cup of Fresh Dill - chopped
Directions
Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using the finer side of a grater, grate your cheddar cheese and set back in the fridge.
Chop your dill. (make sure it is not still wet from rinsing)
Mix flour, salt & baking soda in a medium bowl.
Using your hands, mix in the cold Cheddar from the fridge & the chopped Dill.
Again, using your hand, mix in the Buttermilk & Egg until a shaggy dough forms.
The traditional way is to do this by hand and it may scare you but you have a higher chance of overworking the gluten in your dough by using standing mixer. If you are super anti-hand than you could use a dough hook in your mixer but be careful to not over mix!
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.
Place your dough ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Using a sharp knife cut the ball into fourths. You will cut all the way to the parchment paper and be sure to keep the wedges tight in the ball shape. This will help your dense soda bread rise and bake evenly. See picture for end result!
Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying!
You May Need:
