I've been looking for a good cheddar cheese bread recipe for some time. Last weekend I had a go at this recipe. It was very easy, and very yum. I would say that the texture is more like a giant cheese scone than bread though and this should most definitely be eaten with a chunk of butter on the day you bake it (which to be honest is not hard!).
You will need:
- 350g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 50ml milk
- 100g cheddar, grated
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- a pinch of salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and place a roasting tray with an inch of boiling water in it on the bottom shelf of the oven.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mix resembles breadcrumbs (you could whizz up the butter and dry ingredients in a food processor). Add the grated cheese and gradually pour in the milk stirring until combined into a loose dough, shaping it into a ball. Place on a floured baking sheet, stick the rosemary into the top of the dough and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes - it will be ready when it sounds hollow if you tap the base of the loaf.
Eat immediately* with hunks of salty butter....mmmmm.
*well, perhaps let it cool enough so you don't burn your mouth!
