Cheese, Chive & Bacon Bread

Quite honestly, there is no smell more enticing to me than that of freshly baked bread.  This bread is no exception.  It may not be a bread in the traditional sense (as in yeasted bread), in fact it is probably more like the offspring of a savoury scone and cake.  It makes a delicious snack, the perfect breakfast (toast it and top it with poached eggs and sautéed spinach - ridiculously good!), and a fab accompaniment to soup.  Seriously it’s good at any time.  Easily adaptable too - you could go vegetarian and leave out the bacon and add sun-dried tomato instead, or try swapping out half of the cheddar for feta cheese and add a cupful of chopped spinach.  Be adventurous…..either way it will be delicious.  I’ve also made this recipe as muffins instead of a loaf.  Just adjust your cooking time accordingly - I find 25 minutes does the job.

Note:  I credit baking extraordinaire Belinda Jeffrey for the inspiration for this loaf (in fact Belinda is the inspiration for many of my bakes).  Belinda has a recipe in her book Mix & Bake for a truly delicious Cheese, Olive & Buttermilk Herb Bread from which this loaf was born.  I highly recommend giving it a go also.

Another note:  I use half and half white flour and wholemeal flour as I like the texture the wholemeal gives the bread (and it also helps to convince myself that it’s healthy).

Bon appetit!

Mel xoxo

Cheese, Chive & Bacon Bread

makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 cup wholemeal plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3 rashers of bacon (or 6 shortcut rashers), chopped

1 big bunch chopped chives 

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

160g vintage cheddar, grated

2 eggs

300g sour cream

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup milk

1 egg yolk mixed with a tbsp of water (egg wash - optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line a large loaf tin with baking paper.  

Heat a lightly oiled frypan over med-high heat and add the bacon.  Cook until caramelised and slightly crispy.  Set aside until required.

Place the flours, baking powder, mustard powder, bicarb, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk with a balloon whisk until well combined.  Add the bacon, chives, rosemary and cheese and mix to combine.  In a separate jug or bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, olive oil and milk and whisk with a fork until smooth.  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture.  Fold with a spatula until combined.  Pour into the prepared loaf tin and using a pastry brush, lightly brush over the loaf.  Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until dark golden and the loaf springs back when pressed in the centre.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.  As difficult as it may be to leave it to cool, it is best you do!  If you cut into it when it’s hot it will be too doughy, so let it cool to room temperature.  Slice and top with lashings of butter.  You’re welcome.