Soda bread is the easiest bread recipe I know, especially this one with floury potatoes added in for extra oomph. Makes one large loaf
25g butter
1½ tbsp light brown sugar
1 small bunch lemon thyme, leaves picked, plus a few extra branches
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 1cm-thick rounds
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
100g extra-mature cheddar, finely grated
250g maris piper (or other floury potato), peeled and cut into quarters
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
300g wholegrain spelt flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
568ml buttermilk (ie two large pots)
40g parmesan, finely grated
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Heat the butter and sugar in a large frying pan, season generously with salt, pepper and the lemon thyme, then saute the leeks for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until sticky and caramelised. Leave to cool and, once completely cool, stir in the cayenne, if using, and all but a tablespoon of the cheddar.
Meanwhile fill a small pan with cold water, add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until tender, then drain and leave to steam dry in the pan. Once dry, mash and leave to cool.
Lightly flour a clean work surface. In a large bowl, mix the flours, bicarb and salt. In a second bowl, lightly whisk the leek mixture through the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the flour bowl, then pour in the leek mixture and whisk to combine. Tip out and knead briefly, just until the dough comes together: the more you work soda bread dough, the heavier it will be, so the quicker you can get the loaf into the oven after mixing the wet mixture with the dry, the better.
Shape the dough into a ball and put on to a floured baking sheet. Cut a deep cross into the top of the dough with a very sharp knife, then dust with flour and scatter with the remaining cheddar and parmesan. Press the remaining branches of lemon thyme into the loaf.
Bake for an hour, until the loaf is cooked through. To check that it’s done, turn the loaf over and tap the underside: once cooked, it will sound hollow. If it still sounds solid, pop the bread back in the oven for 10 minutes more, then test again. Leave to cool before tearing apart and serving with a crisp salad and a plate of cheese and ham.
