Wild garlic soda bread

Instructions

1. Step 1

   In a bowl or jug, mix together the buttermilk and soured cream or yogurt, and stir through the wild garlic until you have a green-flecked liquid. Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Step 2

   Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp of fine sea salt into a large bowl and stir in the cayenne pepper and cheddar until combined. Make a well in the middle and pour in the buttermilk mixture, then use a silicone spatula or your hands to bring the mixture together into a sticky dough. If the dough is not coming together, add a small splash of milk.

3. Step 3

   Lightly roll and squish the dough around the bowl to pick up any crumbs, then fold it over itself until it has a smooth-ish consistency. Shape it into a ball and handle it lightly so as not to overwork it – you don’t want to knead it much. Gently lift the dough onto the tray, then scatter the oats into the bowl and press the dough over the oats to coat. Lift the dough out of the bowl and onto the tray again, then flatten into a plump disc (about 4-5cm thick) using your hands. Score a deep cross, about 2cm down, all the way across the surface using a sharp knife – this will make it easy to pull into quarters later.

4. Step 4

   Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the loaf is crusty, golden brown and hollow-sounding when you tap it on the base. Cool on a wire rack or serve warm with lots of butter and hot soup. Best eaten the day it’s baked – any leftovers can be blitzed into breadcrumbs for frying and topping pasta dishes or salads.