French savoury loaf

This pull-apart loaf is rich with cheese and herbs.

French savoury loaf Credit: Lyndey Milan's Baking Secrets

• makes

  1

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 ml) warm milk
• 2 tsp dry yeast
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 3½ cups (525 g) bread flour
• 1½ tsp salt
• 60 g butter, cut into 1cm dice
• 2 eggs, beaten

Cheese, herb and garlic filling

• 60 g butter, melted and cooled a little
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 1½ cup (180 g) grated sharp cheddar or tasty cheese

Proving time: 2 hours total

Instructions

1. Combine milk, yeast and sugar with ½ cup (125ml) warm water in a jug. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter and, using your fingertips, rub in until the mixture forms crumbs. Add milk mixture and 2 beaten eggs and keep mixing until the dough comes together.
 
2. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, place in a clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
 
3. Meanwhile, make the cheese filling by combing the cooled butter with the garlic, mustard, thyme, chives and cheese and stir until well blended.
 
4. Grease and flour a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin.
 
5. Using your hands, stretch the dough into a rough 30cm square, or one with sides as long as your tin. Top with cheese filling, spreading the buttery cheese mixture to the edges of the dough. Cut the dough into six even strips that will be approximately 5cm wide. Stack the strips on top of each other; you will end up with a 30cm x 5cm stack with 6 layers. With the stack placed horizontally on a board, cut into 6 even pieces; each piece will be 5cm wide. Carefully place each stacked piece cut side up in the loaf tin, repeating with remaining stacks to fill the loaf tin. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to prove for 1 hour or until well risen.
 
6. Preheat oven to 180⁰C.
 
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and it sounds hollow when tapped on the top. Cool on a wire rack.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.