Cheese, oat & spring onion soda bread

Make the most of oats, a cupboard staple, with this moreish cheese and spring onion soda bread. Enjoy with soups, salads or simply slathered in butter

Ingredients

• 120 g rolled oats, plus extra for the topping
• 250 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150 g mature cheddar, grated
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 350 ml buttermilk, plus a little extra (optional)
• 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Blitz the oats in a food processor until fine, then tip into a large bowl along with the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Quickly mix together to combine. Mix in 130g of the cheese and all of the spring onions.
2. Mix the buttermilk and mustard together in a jug, then pour this into the dry ingredients and use a cutlery knife to quickly mix into a soft, shaggy dough. If the dough still looks dry, add another 1-2 tbsp buttermilk. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead briefly to just bring it together into a ball.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared tray and flatten it slightly into a thick disc using your palm. Use a sharp knife to cut a very deep cross into the top, then scatter with the remaining cheese and a small handful of oats. Bake for 35-45 mins until deeply browned and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Leave to cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.