Leek and Cheddar Soda Bread Wedges
A single round of soda bread can be cut into quarters before baking, so the wedges cook through quickly and develop crust on the sides. Use the pale part of a late-winter leek and a sharp cheddar. The recipe makes four generous wedges for soup, or eight smaller portions once baked and split.
Measure before you mix
- 100 g trimmed leek and 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 300 g plain flour, plus a little for shaping
- 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 75 g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
- 230 ml plain cultured buttermilk, plus up to 1 tablespoon if needed
From skillet to oven
- Split the leek lengthways and rinse between the layers to remove grit. Slice finely and cook in the oil over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and any visible moisture has evaporated. Spread on a plate to cool. Heat the oven to 200 C fan (220 C conventional) and line a tray with baking parchment rated for that temperature.
- Whisk the flour, bicarbonate and salt thoroughly to distribute the raising agent. Toss in the cheddar and cooled leek. Pour in the measured buttermilk and stir just until you see no large pockets of flour. If the mixture still has loose dry crumbs at the bottom, add the extra buttermilk a teaspoon at a time.
- Tip onto a lightly floured board and pat into a round about 3 cm thick. Cut into four wedges with a floured knife. Space them several centimetres apart on the tray and bake for 16 to 21 minutes, until browned and firm at the sides. Split one to check for a set crumb with no wet dough; give the batch a few more minutes if needed.
Keep the crumb tender
The dough should feel slightly sticky, not smooth like kneaded yeast dough. Flour your hands rather than working more flour into the mixture. If the tops brown too quickly before the centres are ready, loosely cover them with foil for the last few minutes. Cool briefly on a rack before splitting so the steam can escape.
