This tasty quick bread gets its rise from self-raising flour and eggs. That means no kneading and no proofing. Just mix and bake.
Soft, fluffy and almost cake-like inside, with a crispy crust, it's delicious with or without butter and great as part of a tapas feast, with meats, cheeses, salads, or alongside soups.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° Fan / Gas 4 / 350°F with a shelf positioned in the middle.
Butter a small, non-stick loaf tin (approx. 19 x 9 x 6 cm, capacity 450ml or 1 lb).
If your tin isn't non-stick, put a long strip of baking/greaseproof paper along the bottom so it comes up above the rim of the short sides.
Sift the flour, smoked paprika if using, the salt and black pepper into a mixing bowl.
Grate the butter into the flour mixture (dip the butter into the flour now and again to stop it sticking to the grater) then rub in with your fingertips.
Stir in 125 grams of the grated cheese, the chopped chorizo and the chives: if the pieces of chorizo stick together, use your fingers to rub the mixture and separate them.
Make a well in the centre of the mixture and tip in the beaten eggs. Start stirring while adding enough of the milk to form a thick batter. Different flours absorb different amounts of liquid so you may not need all the milk or might need a splash more: see blog post image for how the batter should look.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, pressing down lightly and smoothing the top. Sprinkle over the reserved 25 grams of grated cheese.
Put into the preheated oven and bake until risen, brown and firm: a skewer or cocktail stick inserted should come out clean when done. (50-55 min).
Recommended: check at 30-35 minutes that the top isn't browning too quickly. If it is already quite dark, cover loosely with a piece of foil.
When the loaf is done, leave a few minutes, then tip or lift out of the tin place on a wire rack until cold or only just warm before slicing.
The loaf is best eaten with 2 - 3 days, but is fluffiest inside on the day of baking. After the first day, heating slices for a few seconds in the microwave will make the interior fluffy again. It's also very good toasted and buttered.
Can be frozen as a whole loaf or in slices.