Savory Bread

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

Today we are visiting with our children in the Bay area. Our daughter Barbara always has something ready that she has freshly made. Today our sampling was from her newest cookbook, "Around My French Table" written by: Dorie Greenspan. What an interesting book and such great photography. Barbara has found a newly opened business called "Omnivore Books". It is "heaven" to every person with an interest or need of a cookbook. Tomorrow I will blog about that store. This is a great bread or even toasted or baked as a muffin for brunch. The recipe is common in the Champagne area of France. Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (depending on the salt and add ins)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or more to taste or even a pinch of cayenne)
3 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup milk at room temperature
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 generous cup coarsely grated Gruyere, Comte, Emmenthal, or Cheddar
2 ounces Gruyere, Comte,
1/3 cup freshly minced chives or other herbs

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, (optional)
Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 8 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4" loaf pan.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and white pepper together in a large bowl. Put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until they are foamy and blended. Whisk in milk and olive oil.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and using a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix until the dough comes together. Stir in the cheese and herbs and the walnuts. The dough will be thick. Turn the dough in too the buttered pan and smooth the top with the back of the spatula or spoon.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the bread is golden and a slender knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and wait for about 3 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pan and turn the loaf over onto a rack, invert and cool right side up. Makes 1 loaf