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Cheese and chermoula tin loaf
Makes 1 large loaf. Start 1 day before baking. Cakes, Bread and Pastries
Ingredients
- 375g/ml water at 27C
- 100g bubbly, lively second-build starter (see recipe linked)
- 300g organic white flour (13% protein)
- 200g organic stoneground wholegrain flour (11.5% protein)
- 10g fine sea salt
- butter, ghee or coconut oil, for greasing
- 100g cheese, such as cheddar, chopped into 1.5cm chunks
- 95g chermoula paste
- 1tbsp olive oil, for drizzling
Method
The day before, whisk together 350g/ml of the water and the starter (recipe here) in a large bowl. Refresh the remaining starter in your jar and put to one side.
Add the flours and salt to the bowl and mix vigorously, using a strong spatula, for around 2 minutes to form a stiff ball. Leave to rest for 30 minutes, then mix in the remaining 25g/ml water using the bassinage technique. Cover and leave the dough to rest for another 30 minutes.
To prove, grease a shallow 1.3kg loaf tin and line with baking paper. Scatter several of the chunks of cheese in the bottom of the tin. Put the dough in the tin and massage the chermoula paste into the top of it. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top. Cover and leave to prove on the kitchen table overnight.
In the morning, your loaf will have risen by at least 50 per cent. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/Gas 7 for 30 minutes and place a shallow baking tray in the bottom of the oven. Drizzle the olive oil down the sides of the loaf.
Then, as you place the bread in the oven, reduce the temperature to 180C/160C F/Gas 4 and carefully throw a little water or some ice cubes into the hot tray at the bottom. Close the door quickly to trap the steam this creates. Bake the loaf for around 45–50 minutes until it has a burnished golden crust, checking before it reaches the end of baking time. If it’s not ready, give it another couple of minutes before testing again.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Remove from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. By now, your starter should be ready to put in the fridge until you next want to prepare it for baking.
Once cool, store your loaf wrapped in a clean, dry tea towel and eat within 4 days.
This recipe was taken from the October 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
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