Tuesday, March 29, 2011

CHEESE, OLIVE AND BUTTERMILK HERBED BREAD



Thank god the thyme and the Italian parsely I had bought in 2 little packets 5 days ago have not wilted to a day over useless. To quote (with a twist) season 10  Idol judge ST.

Finally I got down to making this fantastic looking cheese bread that I spotted at the lovely Sugar and Everything Nice by Jo. It looked incredibly irresistible I had to make it. It was one of the most savoury quick 'breads' I have ever eaten. The pepper, the saltiness, the slightly chewy sun dried tomatoes and the parmesan cheese added soo much flavour. I loved it. So good for breakfast as I am simply not into sweet breakfasts. 




I thought the flavour of the spring onions was quite Asian and it instantly reminded me of cucur udang or prawn fritters. Moist pink minced prawns played havoc on my mind. I imagined a shrimped, hot peppery, herb-y, cheesy quick bread. Wow. No? Wow yes.

The recipe..........



Very much like a muffin in method and texture. I omitted the olives though because olives are not a staple in this house.

Cheese, Olive and Buttermilk Herb BreadRecipe Adapted from "Mix & Bake" by Belinda Jeffrey

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustart powder
60g freshly grated parmesan
60g grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
8 pieces sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mixture of spring onion and Italian parsley
2 tsp thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thye
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or use 1 1/4 cup less 1 Tbsp fresh milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes before using)
Egg wash (optional) made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water
Extra thyme springs and sea salt, for topping

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C or 350F. Generously butter a large loaf tin (23 x 13 x 6cm) and either line it with butter parchment paper or dust with flour. Set tin aside.

2) Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper and mustard powder into a large bowl. Whisk with a whisk to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add both cheeses, olives, sundried tomatoes, spring onion, parsley and thyme and stir them thoroughly together.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the oil and buttermilk until they are well combined.

4) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together to form a thick, sticky batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

5) Brush the top of the batter with the egg wash and then sprinkle some thyme leaves and sea salt onto the loaf.

6) Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the top starts to burn, place a piece of foil to cover the top of the loaf and continue baking. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before turning ot onto a wire rack.

7) This loaf is best served on the same day. Wrap left overs tightly and store in refrigerator. Gently reheat in oven if serving left overs.






Gloomy skies are such a nightmare....

19 comments:

Unknown said...

love sundried tomatoes in bread..looks so yumm

Unknown said...

Zu,

If you place the Italian parsley in a tall glass filled with cold tap water, and then loosely drape a plastic bag over the top to tent it a little and place it in the fridge, they will last a fortnight and not wilt. This works for coriander too, regardless of with roots or without roots.

If you also need to revive lettuce or leafy salad mix for your salad that has gone limp in the fridge, you can do so by immersing them in iced water for a minute or two. They turn out more crispier!

Through My Kitchen Window said...

Oooh. Belinda Jeffrey - I love her! Her recipes are so down to earth. She was fabulous as the cooking host of Better homes and Gardens. No one has managed to match her. I believe you Zurin that this recipe works. I can see this recipe working really well as large muffins too. You did a fine job of this bread; the top photo proves it. Yum.

busygran said...

What a great way to start the day with a slice of herbed bread! It looks absolutely delicious!

terri@adailyobsession said...

oh wow! yum yum yum yum yum!

pam said...

Oh, I could make a meal out of this!

Elin said...

Zurin...this savoury herbed bread looks great. Shall try it out and thank you so much for sharing this. I know I will it love for you have wow me by your photos :) Thanks,
Regards,
Elin

La Table De Nana said...

Savoury breads are delicious but sometimes hard to photograph..

Well...not for you:) Superb.

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

I like savory bread but not my kids, this look so comfort and good.

Linda said...

Gorgeous Zurin...your pics are amazing!
I would love to try this...it would be lovely served with some soup!
Thanks for sharing!

Sarah-Jane - SiliconeMoulds.com said...

Zurin - you have been working your magic yet again. This looks truly yummy. I'm a sucker for bread. There are many things that may be delicious - yet I could have one bite and resist further temptation.

Leave me in a room with this and I think it would disappear very quickly indeed ! lol

Jo said...

Hi Zurin, hen you said you wanted to try the recipe, I didn't realize it would be so soon! So glad you liked the bread. I still have a small portion left over in my freezer. Time to take it out this weekend with some hearty soup!

Unknown said...

The bread looks wonderful.

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

zurin, I can totally relate to your relief over the little packets of herbs. I have thrown out one fresh herb too often... This bread is definitely a good way to make use of those herbs.

CarinE said...

I would love to have this for breakfast...hahaha

The Sweetylicious said...

zurin, that loook so lovely! i've not even get my hands on any bread yet! so proud of you (:

Morgan said...

This looks fantastic. I've never had much success with making bread, but perhaps I can get my cousin to make it.

Helena / Rico sin Azúcar said...

Gorgeous bread!!!! I love these cheesy aromatic loaves. I'll do it for sure ;-)

I found your site via Pinterest and I'm a new follower, well done!

Helena / Rico sin Azúcar said...

Gorgeous bread!! I love these cheesy aromatic loaves, I'll do it for sure!

I found your site via Pinterest and I'm a new follower, congratulations for your blog ;-)

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