Cheese in the title

As it is international pretend you're Irish day, I present one of my modifications on the classic Irish Soda Bread!

For some reason, I'm terrified of using yeast in cooking.  In fact, thus far I've only used yeast in a bread maker, and if it went wrong I could just blame the machine.  I'm not sure what it is - maybe it's my fear of bringing new life into the world only to kill it with fire.  One day I will face my fear of yeast, but until then I will continue to be a culinary coward.

I love carbohydrates.  Pasta, potatoes, rice, it's all good.  I especially love bread, so you can see the irony in me being afraid of yeast.  Fortunately, there are other ways to make bread!

Quick breads don't require yeast, but instead usually use something alkali like sodium bicarbonate and something mildly acidic like buttermilk.  If you've ever done the baking soda and vinegar volcano experiment, you'll know that acid + base = bubbles.  If the bubbles are formed in something substantial they don't pop as easily.  A nice flour and liquid medium is pretty strong so the bubbles don't pop, causing the bread to rise.  See?  Baking is all about science.

Personally, I feel that most things are made tastier by the addition of cheese.  Infact, I am drawn to just about anything with cheese in the title.  Thus I present to you my cheesey quick bread recipe.

Cheese in the Title Soda Bread

3 cups of flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (make sure that there are no lumps - mash it to make sure)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (optional, but I like the slight sharpness to go with the cheese)
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese of choice (sharp cheddars work well)
1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 180 C (375 F) - you want to be able to put the dough in the oven as soon as it's ready

Mix dry and cheese together in a large bowl
Drop your mustard on top
Add one cup of buttermilk and mix
Gradually add more buttermilk until a soft dough is formed
(it may be a little sticky - that's okay!  It will just make tasty crinkly bits on the bread)
Knead the mix for about a minute
Form dough into a circle on a parchment lined baking tray, and cut a cross on the top

 Bake for 40-45 minutes

A scientific note on preheating ovens; most baked goods need to be put in a hot oven as soon as they are mixed.  The reason behind this is actually pretty cool.  When the reaction of the acid and the base starts forming bubbles, if the bubble is warmed up the gas inside it expands, which leads to an even lighter rise to your baked goods.  If the reaction between acid and base has slowed down or even finished by the time you start heating it, the dough won't rise as much.