Savory Cheese And Chive Bread

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt (depending on what cheese and add-ins you are using)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or more to taste, you could add a pinch of cayenne)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely grated cheese (about 4 ounces, gruyere, comte, emmenthal, or cheddar)
• 2 ounces cheese, cut into very small cubes (gruyere, comte, emmenthal, or cheddar, about 1/2-2/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh chives (or other herbs, or thinly sliced scallions)
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Recipe

• 1 center a rack in the oven; preheat oven to 350°; generously butter an 8 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan (a pyrex pan is perfect; if your pan is larger, go ahead and use it, but your loaf will be lower and you'll have to check it for doneness a little earlier).
• 2 whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a big bowl.
• 3 put the eggs in another bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until they are foamy and blended; whisk in the milk and olive oil.
• 4 pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and , using a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, gently mix until the dough comes together; there is no need to be energetic (beating the dough toughens it); nor do you need to be very thorough, just stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
• 5 stir in the cheese, grated and cubed, the herbs, and walnuts (you will have a thick dough).
• 6 turn the dough into the prepared pan and even the top with the back of the spatula or spoon.
• 7 bake for 35-40 minutes or until the bread is golden and a slender knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• 8 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 the rack; invert and cool right side up.
• 9 dorie suggests if serving with drinks/wine--cut bread into 8 slices, about 1/2 inch thick, and cut the slices into strips or cubes.
• 10 well wrapped, the loaf will keep for about 2 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer (thaw in the wrapper).
• 11 **this is not a very moist loaf--it is not meant to be--so it may seem a little dry after a couple of days; it is good to toast the slices.