Back to the Real World

Having been home a week and the kiddoes having finished their first week of school is leaving me with the feeling that we had never been away. Only for the fact the Mr Mouse is still to return I know that not everything is back to normal yet.

While we were away there was no need to bake bread as there were amazing artisan boulangeries on just about every corner. But the experience left me totally inspired by all of the talented bakers/artists and had me really excited to get back in the kitchen.

I spent some of my evenings away researching different types of bread and looking at ways to vary basic loaves. Knowing that school would be only days away once we returned, I wanted to have some morning and afternoon tea ideas planned out. (Nerd!)

Onion and Cheese Filled Loaf

I wish I could remember exactly where I first saw these loaves. I have always loved the idea of a plaited loaf, but to me, this is much better in that it is easier to fill. 

There are so many different ways out on amazing websites, so this is really just to get you thinking and heading across to those who really know what they are doing.

I made up half of the Jamie Oliver Basic Bread recipe letting the bread maker do all of the hard work for me. 

While the dough was doing its thing, I cut up some onion and cooked these for about half an hour. After these had cooled, I added them to some grated cheese and added some salt and pepper. That was the filling done.

After it had proved I divided it into 3 equal pieces as I wanted to make 3 little loaves. (In hindsight, 2 larger loaves probably would have been a little better.)

The first piece was rolled out very gently to about half a centimetre thick. At this stage I very carefully transferred the dough to a piece of baking paper. It is too tricky to move the dough once it is filled.

Spoon the mixture in the middle third of the dough leaving some space that the top and the bottom.

Cut the corners out, making sure to cut on an angle.

Make and equal number of angled cuts on both sides of the filling.

Pull the top over.

Start folding alternate sides over the filling.

Before you fold the last two pieces over, fold the bottom up then fold the last two pieces, tucking the last one under the loaf.

There are so many fillings, sweet or savoury, that you could use depending on tastes and what you have in the fridge. I was thinking that puff pastry (pâte feuilletée) filled with fruit would also look, and taste, really good done like this.

Take care