Blackcurrant, goat’s cheese, hazelnut & rosemary soda bread

Winter

This super-quick soda bread is easy to make and incredibly delicious to eat. It’s a brilliant way to use a few handfuls of fizzy, sharp blackcurrants, a fruit I’ve always found perfect alongside goat’s cheese, and the perfumed perennial herb rosemary. I think this bread is at its best served warm with cold butter, and perhaps a spoonful of my blackcurrant jam or a good trickle of honey, or with cheese and ham as suggested here.

Makes 1 large loaf

Ingredients

250g (9oz) plain flour
2 heaped teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
150g (5½oz) rinded goat’s cheese, cubed
50g (1¾oz) shelled hazelnuts, bashed
100g (3½oz) blackcurrants, topped and tailed
2 rosemary sprigs, roughly chopped
200ml (7fl oz) whey or buttermilk
2 tablespoons jumbo oats

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

In a large bowl combine the flour with the baking powder and salt, two-thirds of the goat’s cheese, two-thirds of the bashed hazelnuts, the blackcurrants, chopped rosemary, and whey or buttermilk. Use your hands to form the dough into a round, about 20cm (8in) in diameter. Line a baking tray with baking parchment, place the dough round on top, then scatter over the remaining nuts and cheese, and then lastly the oats.

Cut the traditional deep cross into the surface of the dough. This will help the bread to rise. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes or until well-risen and golden on top.

Serve warm from the oven with butter, a few slices of cheese and some good ham.

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