Cheddar Herb Soda Bread (Printable)

Savory rustic loaf with sharp cheddar and fresh herbs, ready in 50 minutes. Perfect warm with butter.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1 tsp baking soda
04 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Cheese & Herbs

05 - 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
06 - 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - 1 ⅔ cups buttermilk
10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for brushing)

# How-to Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly flour surface.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Add grated cheddar, chives, parsley, and thyme to flour mixture. Mix until evenly distributed throughout.
04 - Make a well in center of flour mixture. Pour in buttermilk and melted butter. Stir with fork or spatula until dough just comes together—do not overmix.
05 - Turn dough onto floured surface. Shape gently into round loaf about 7 inches across and 2 inches high. Place on prepared baking sheet.
06 - Use sharp knife to cut deep cross on top of loaf. Brush lightly with extra melted butter if desired.
07 - Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.
08 - Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The crust gets incredibly golden and slightly crisp while staying tender inside, creating that perfect textural contrast that makes homemade bread so irresistible
  • It comes together in under fifteen minutes of active work, which means you can decide to make bread at 5 PM and actually eat it with dinner
  • The combination of sharp cheddar and fresh herbs makes every slice feel special enough for guests but simple enough for Tuesday night soup
02 -
  • Overmixing is the enemy of tender soda bread, stop as soon as the flour is moistened even if it looks shaggy
  • The hollow sound test really works, tap the bottom and if it echoes like it's empty inside, it's done
  • This bread is best the day it's made, though toasting leftovers the next morning with an egg is pretty spectacular
03 -
  • Grate the cheese from a block instead of buying pre-shredded, the texture and melting quality is noticeably better
  • If your dough feels too sticky to handle, sprinkle just enough flour to make it manageable without working it too much
  • The cross on top isn't just decorative, it helps the heat penetrate to the center of the loaf for even baking

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