Cheddar And Herb Soda Bread (Printable View)

Rustic soda bread with sharp cheddar and fresh herbs, ready in 50 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Cheese & Herbs

05 - 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
06 - 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 ⅔ cups buttermilk
10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for brushing)

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour the surface.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and black pepper until well blended.
03 - Add grated cheddar, chives, parsley, and thyme to the flour mixture. Mix evenly to distribute throughout.
04 - Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in buttermilk and melted butter. Stir with fork or spatula just until dough comes together—avoid overmixing.
05 - Turn dough onto floured surface. Gently shape into a round loaf approximately 7 inches across and 2 inches high. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
06 - Use sharp knife to cut a deep cross pattern on top of loaf. Lightly brush with additional melted butter if desired.
07 - Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.
08 - Transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Its the kind of bread that makes people think you spent all day in the kitchen
  • The cheese creates these incredible puddles of savory goodness throughout
  • Requires zero proofing time so you can have fresh bread on the table in under an hour
02 -
  • Overmixing will make your bread tough so stop stirring the moment the dough comes together
  • The cross on top is not just traditional it helps the center bake through properly
  • This bread is best eaten the day you bake it as soda bread stales more quickly than yeast breads
03 -
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre shredded which contains anti caking agents that prevent proper melting
  • If you do not have buttermilk make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes

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