Basil and Sun Dried Tomato Soda Bread

One of the things I don’t eat often is bread. For one thing I find that a diet of mostly vegetables is best for me. So I limit my intake of these kinds of things. This was true before I was diagnosed with MS but it has become more of a factor over the last few years. I have noticed changes in digestion. Even if I eat just a small amount of bread I’m in pain. I think it’s the yeast but I’m not entirely sure.

I remembered that I used to make soda bread when the kids were younger. I made it to stretch dollars when things were tight. Soda bread is faster than waiting for yeast bread to rise also. Which was a big plus.

I have a beautiful garden in the back yard but I have a bit of a problem. Basil! Basil every where. I’m not even kidding. I have no clue where it all came from. I’ve been freezing it, drying it, and making pesto. You name it if it has basil I have made it!

So this is just a twist on the plain soda bread I used to make. I wanted to see if it was friendlier to my stomach and I thought it sounded good too.

Ingredients:

4 Cups Gluten Free Flour ( or all-purpose if you prefer)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cracked Pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Shredded Almond, Asiago or Cheddar Cheese
2 1/4 Cups Buttermilk or sour milk ( mix 1 tsp. vinegar into almond milk or regular milk to make sour milk)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the chopped Basil, Rosemary, shredded cheese, and tomatoes. Stir well.

Create a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk. Stir until a ball forms. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times. You don’t want to over knead the dough. Form the dough into a round disc about 2 inches thick. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, ( I used coconut oil) cut an X across the top of the dough, and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.