Ploughman's Rolls

While the ‘Ploughman’s Lunch’ was actually invented as a marketing scheme for British cheese, rather than being a rural tradition, I feel that any farmer would be grateful of such a midday meal while working hard on the land. The traditional lunch consists of an assortment of cheeses, pickles, beers, breads along with an apple, often served up on a large board or platter. The problem being that the modern worker would struggle to accommodate a platter within their work bag, so I have come up with the solution in the form of a ‘Ploughman’s Roll’. The roll is based on a soda bread recipe, contains the classic pairing of apple and cheddar, and provides a perfect portable snack for the modern worker.

Ingredients
• 125g plain flour, white or brown
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ oz margarine
• 1 apple, grated
• 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 50ml milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, and grease a baking sheet.
2. Add the flour and baking powder to a large bowl, mix together.
3. Then add in the margarine, rub together with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Add in the apple and cheese, along with salt and pepper. (You won’t need a lot of salt because of the salty nature of the cheese, so go carefully)
5. Then gradually mix in the milk until you have a sticky, but workable, dough. You may not need all the milk, dependant of the juiciness of your chosen apple. Make sure not to over mix as this will result in a tough roll.
6. Shape the dough into 4 rounds and place on the baking sheet. Don’t worry if they aren’t all uniform in appearance, a slightly irregular appearance will only add to the rustic charm of these rolls.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
8. These are best eaten within 2 days, or can be frozen for up to 1 month.

This recipe can also be used to make 1 small loaf, simply shape into a round and bake for 30-40 minutes; perfect sliced alongside soup or salads.