Saturday, February 22, 2014

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread


It's early Sunday morning and the sun has yet to rise. The house is quiet and the dull hum of the dryer plays softly in the background. I’ve been up for a while now, the time completely mine. Suddenly I notice a wonderful aroma, it is this savory cheese and scallion bread baking in the oven. Ohhh... but I can’t wait to slather in butter, with some fruit for breakfast.

This recipe is straight up from the "Around My French Table", cookbook by Dorie Greenspan. A truly remarkable book and one of my favorites. She compares this savory loaf to an American quick break with a French soul and even recommends serving this later in the day with a glass of chilled wine. She points out that this is such a versatile recipe, any combination of cheese, herbs or even meat can be used. For today's post I used sharp cheddar and chives. My first thought when tasting this for the first time was that this was a tad dry, but it is supposed to be. The author also suggests cutting this bread into strips or cubes. But I believe I will just toast some up tomorrow morning.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on cheese and what add-ons you use)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1/3 cup whole milk (room temperature)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 generous cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 ounces cheddar cheese cut into very small cubes
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter a 8 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inch loaf pan. 

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.

Put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until foamy and blended. Whisk in milk and olive oil.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Mix until all the dry mixture is moistened. Stir in the grated and cubed cheese and the scallions. (The dough will be thick). Place dough in the prepared pan and even out.



Baked for 35 to 45 minutes, or until bread is golden and knife or toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Let cool completely. Slice and enjoy!





Cheri Savory Spoon
Cheri Savory Spoon

Mysavoryspoon was first started in 2010 as a way to journal recipes that I had collected from cookbooks, magazines, family and friends. Most everything was savory, using legumes and whole grains. Along the way I discovered a love for baking. Now a couple times a month you might see some type of sweet pie or treat.

24 comments:

  1. I can just imagine how wonderful that smelt as it was cooking! Perfect for a lazy weekend breakfast!

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  2. Hi Helen, yes it was a nice and easy breakfast. Thanks!

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  3. Well Cheri, I will save this for a little later this year when I am able to harvest chives from my own garden. Sounds delish... looking forward to that aroma lingering in my kitchen! Will touch bases with you when I do bake this.

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    1. Hi Sandra, can't wait to see pics of your garden this year. They are always quite spectacular. Happy baking.

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  4. Cheri, you did a fabulous job with the savory chese and chive bread from "Around my French Table" - how nice to know that you enjoy Dorie Greenspan´s recipes as well!
    Hope you are going to have a lovely week!

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    1. Thanks Andrea, love cooking from her cookbook, especially her quick cakes like the Swedish visiting cake which is one of my all time favorites.

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  5. I love waking up before sunrise to that quiet house and watching the sun rise. And I wish I were waking up to this bread. Looks really really good. Thanks for the recipe.

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    1. Hi Lea Ann, mornings are my favorite too. Have a great week.

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  6. Cheese and chives is one of the most perfect flavor combo there is. This bread looks so delectable Cheri, I bet it tasted amazing!

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  7. This looks and sounds fantastic, can't wait to try it!

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  8. Thanks it really was good. Have a great week!

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  9. Oh my, I think I will have to try this one. It looks so good! Only thing better than bread is bread with cheese baked inside! Yummy!

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    1. Thanks Tammy, it really was good, notice I use the word was. Sad to say it's all gone.

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  10. I'm a huge fan of quick breads -- no waiting for dough to rise, just bake then eat. I've seen a lot of sweet, but not very many savory. Definitely loving the flavor combo!

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  11. This sounds wonderful, and I love your description of the quiet early morning, definitely my favorite time of day...

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  12. The bread sounds great…it would be wonderful with a bowl of soup.

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  13. Looks delicious - I love savory breads like this. I love the cheese and chive combination!

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    1. Hi Lisa, this is one of my most favorite combos too.

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  14. This looks soo good.. am bookmarking it for the weekend!

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  15. I might have to make this tomorrow. It has so many of my favorite things in it! And I'm always so impressed by anyone who gets up early - even before the chickens are up. I'll try it for awhile and love the quiet, and how much I can get done by the time my husband gets up. But somehow it never sticks. But I want to do it. Maybe if I had some of this bread, I could do it.

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