Monday 2 June 2014

Cheese Olive and Buttermilk Herb Bread













Have you ever stood at the kitchen counter with a slab of butter in front of you and a butter knife in your hand and eaten half a loaf of bread? I have.



Cheese Olive and Buttermilk Herb Bread
slightly adapted from Belinda Jeffery's Mix & Bake

335g plain flour (I used "00" flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (I used Pink Himalaya salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
60g Parmesan, grated
60g Cheddar, grated
75g stuffed green olive, sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs for top
2 eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
310ml buttermilk
egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoons water

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 31 x 11 x 7.5cm loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and mustard powder in a large bowl. Mix them well. Add the cheeses, olives, chives and thyme leaves and stir.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add the olive oil and buttermilk and whisk to combine.

Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until it becomes a thick sticky batter. Scrape it into the prepared tin and brush the top with egg wash. Strew the top with extra thyme sprigs and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

18 comments:

  1. Oh I have been there! Last week it was a 'test batch' of scones....
    I cannot wait until the coming long weekend to make this! I will have to lock the butter away, or maybe just bring the rest of the loaf to Mum and Dad as a "gift" aka "get this out of the house before I eat the whole thing myself".

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    1. Haha, Locking the butter away, now there's an idea?

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  2. It must be an olive-y, bread-y day! :) This looks SO good!

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  3. I have too, you're not alone ;) I love the mix of flavours..I should make breads more often, argh!

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    1. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever polished off half of a freshly baked loaf on their own.

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  4. Yes, and I would definitely do that with this gorgeous loaf and not feel the least built guilty! So stunning!!

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    1. Thanks Maria. I should have waited until the kids were home before I pull it out of the oven.

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  5. I love everything about this bread... but especially that cheesy and olive bits! :)

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  6. This is going to sound so weird, but my brother loves olives. Like really, really loves them. I don't live near him anymore and sometimes I miss him so badly I can't stand it, so I always make something with olives in it. I don't know why! It just makes me feel better! :) I know what I am making the next time I feel a blast of homesickness coming on! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I totally understand where you're coming from. Food memories are strong.

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  7. Love this bread, I've had black olives in bread before never, green. Bet this is delicious!

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    1. I'm a green olive girl myself - but I do love all olives.

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  8. Yuuuum! I adore these kinds of savoury breads. First cookies, now gorgeous cheesy olive bread... and all I have in front of me is an apple. Sad face. But.. on a happier note, I happen to have leftover buttermilk in my refrigerator which needs using up. I think I know where it's going ;)

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    1. My fridge always contains a carton of buttermilk - the bakers bff.

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  9. Those pictures are stunning! Just no words really. . .incredible! The recipe sounds delicious as well!!

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