When does spring really begin? When the first flowers start blooming? When the temperatures slowly start to rise again? Some insist that spring starts on March 20, but for me, spring starts when Instagram is flooded with wild garlic recipes. That’s for sure a sign that the fun is finally about to start ;) This year, for the first time, I’m contributing a suitable recipe myself to join the wild garlic bloggers: a delicious Soda Bread with Wild Garlic, Spring Onions & Cheddar. So spring has officially sprung ;P
Wild garlic has a very short season. The first plants normally sprout mid of March. April is the peak of the season and by the beginning of May it’s all over. That’s when the wild garlic starts to flower, and you should not eat it anymore. Not much time to do anything with this plant…
There are many people in Germany who pick wild garlic in the forest. Many food bloggers also seem to do this (if you look at all the recipes/articles on the internet). To be honest, I’ve never seen any of these plants in the forest… or maybe I have? Could have been lily of the valley. Who knows, they look very similar. You have to be a very careful here – one plant is edible, the other is poisonous ;)
Anyway. I bought my wild garlic for this delicious soda bread at the farmer’s market… it’s much easier than foraging through the forest looking for this garlic-scented plant.
We love soda bread here. It’s the perfect bread when you need a quick fix. Of course, it doesn’t come close to sourdough bread you work on for two days. But if you spice a soda bread up with wild garlic, spring onions and cheddar, as we have done here, it’s simply delicious and a real contender for »best bread in town«!
Soda bread tastes best when still slightly warm. Spread some butter on top and sprinkle with sea salt… so delicious! The bread is also great as a side for the first barbecue of the season ;)
You can freeze wild garlic to extend the season for some time, but if you don’t have any at hand you can still make this bread. Add a little garlic instead and you are good to go. If you still want the green color you can simply add some spinach to the buttermilk – the same way you would have used the wild garlic in the recipe.
I got much more bread recipes on the blog that can be made quickly – some with baking soda and some made with yeast. You don’t always need two days to make delicious bread ;P My Spelt Soda Bread is in the same category as this one here, but not quite as green. My easy Potato Bread with Rolled Oats has a great texture and is really delicious. Just give it a try!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
1.8 oz. (50g) wild garlic
1 1/4 cup (300ml) buttermilk
10.6 oz. (300g) all-purpose flour
3.5 oz. (100g) wholemeal flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch of pepper
2-3 spring onions, chopped
3.5 oz. (100g) cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
some milk (or plant-based alternative) to brush the bread
50g frischer Bärlauch
300ml Buttermilch
300g Mehl (Type 405)
100g Weizenvollkornmehl
1 TL Natron
1 TL Salz
1 Prise Pfeffer
2-3 Frühlingszwiebeln, in Röllchen
100g Cheddar (würzig), grob gerieben
etwas Milch (oder pflanzliche Alternative) zum Bestreichen des Brotes
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and sprinkle with some flour. Set aside.
2. Wash and dry the wild garlic, add together with the buttermilk to a blender, and mix until you get a nice green buttermilk. Set aside.
3. Mix the flour, wholemeal flour, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chopped spring onions and grated cheese and mix to combine. Add the wild garlic buttermilk and work it into the flour mixture – the dough will be very sticky. Sprinkle some additional flour over the dough and into your hands and then shape it into a round loaf. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Use a serrated knife and cut a cross into the loaf – go almost all the way down with the knife. Brush the loaf with some milk (or a plant-based alternative) and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The bread should be nicely browned and sound hollow when knocking on it. Take out of the oven and let cool down on a wire rack.
1. Den Ofen auf 200°C (390°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Ein Backblech mit Backpapier auslegen und mit etwas Mehl bestreuen. Zur Seite stellen.
2. Den Bärlauch waschen, trocknen und dann zusammen mit der Buttermilch in einen Mixer geben. So lange mixen, bis eine schöne grüne Buttermilch entsteht. Zur Seite stellen.
3. Reguläres Mehl, Vollkornmehl, Natron, Salz und Pfeffer in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Frühlingszwiebeln und Käse dazugeben und unterheben. Die Bärlauch-Buttermilch dazugeben und in das Mehl einarbeiten – der Teig wird sehr klebrig sein. Etwas zusätzliches Mehl über den Teig streuen und in die Hände geben und den Teig dann zu einem runden Laib formen. Auf das vorbereitete Backblech setzen.
4. Mit einem Brotmesser (o.ä.) ein Kreuz in den Teig schneiden – man sollte den Teig dabei fast komplett durchschneiden. Den Teig mit etwas Milch (oder einer pflanzlichen Alternative) bestreichen und etwa 40-45 Minuten backen. Das Brot sollte schön gebräunt sein und hohl klingen, wenn man darauf klopft. Aus dem Ofen holen und auf einem Kuchengitter abkühlen lassen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Wild Garlic, Spring Onion & Cheddar Soda Bread
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:45
- Total Time: 01:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple and easy-to-prepare bread for many occasions: Wild Garlic, Spring Onion & Cheddar Soda Bread. Great flavors!
Ingredients
1.8 oz. (50g) wild garlic
1 1/4 cup (300ml) buttermilk
10.6 oz. (300g) all-purpose flour
3.5 oz. (100g) wholemeal flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch of pepper
2–3 spring onions, chopped
3.5 oz. (100g) cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
some milk (or plant-based alternative) to brush the bread
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and sprinkle with some flour. Set aside.
2. Wash and dry the wild garlic, add together with the buttermilk to a blender, and mix until you get a nice green buttermilk. Set aside.
3. Mix the flour, wholemeal flour, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chopped spring onions and grated cheese and mix to combine. Add the wild garlic buttermilk and work it into the flour mixture – the dough will be very sticky. Sprinkle some additional flour over the dough and into your hands and then shape it into a round loaf. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Use a serrated knife and cut a cross into the loaf – go almost all the way down with the knife. Brush the loaf with some milk (or a plant-based alternative) and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The bread should be nicely browned and sound hollow when knocking on it. Take out of the oven and let cool down on a wire rack.
Notes
Make something amazing in the kitchen!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
