Feta cheese, spring onion and dill soda bread

Yield – one loaf

Ingredients

400g bread or plain flour

10g baking powder

Good pinch of salt

2tsp dried or fresh dill

200g feta cheese or similar

Bunch of spring onions, coarsely chopped

300ml buttermilk or milk, sour cream, plain yogurt

1 egg, lightly beaten

A drop of milk if needed

Method

1. Place the flour, salt, baking powder, dill and prepared spring onions into a large mixing bowl and combine well.

2. Crumble and gently rub in the cheese until you have small pieces allowing the odd large lump to create cheese bombs while baking.

3. Using a feathered hand or wooded spoon stir in the beaten egg and buttermilk to form a soft dough.

4. A splash of milk might be needed if you feel the mixture is a little on the dry side.

5. Knead the dough lightly with a little flour until it just comes together, then stop.

6. Shape the dough into a ball, place onto a floured baking tray, and pat down to the size of a dinner plate.

7. Using a sharp knife score a cross halfway through the soda bread.

8. Bake in a preheated hot oven 200c/gas mark 7 for around 30 minutes until well-risen and golden brown.

9. Transfer onto a cooling wire.

10. Best eaten warm with pasta dishes or a nice green salad.

Baker Mike's top tips

* Serving suggestions, red onion marmalade or best butter.

* Soda bread is best eaten on the day you bake it – freeze what you don't use and refresh in the oven once defrosted

*it’s very impotent to have everything prepped with the oven preheated before the liquid is added.

* Grown your own herbs in plant pots and save money.

* Chives and spring onions also work very well together.