Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

May 21st, 2015

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread 4

This may look like an American quick bread, but according to Dorie Greenspan, it has a French soul.  Savory breads, cake sale’, are served all over France with apperitifs. What is so nice about this bread, other than its wonderful taste, is that it is indeed quick and easy.  After you grate your cheese, toast your walnuts and snip your chives, it is just a matter of mixing the wet ingredients with the dry and baking in a loaf pan.Savory Cheese and Chive Bread 2

The aroma from the oven was heady.  I was impatient to cut into the bread even before it had cooled.  I managed to get a few shots of it before we dug into it.  David, who has been avoiding carbs, said it was the best bread I had ever made as he nibbled away at one small piece after another.  We have eaten it with salads, as an accompaniment to grilled chicken and as toast for breakfast.  It is best that way.

Lake Lure Deck 1

We have almost finished with the dock in preparation for the summer festivities.  We ordered new window boxes for the boathouse windows and I planted some geraniums.  I will add some trailing greens and white vinca when I make it to the garden center.  David got a little carried away with the spray paint and was thinking about Should You Encapsulate Lead Paint in Your Home? or not.  The green chairs used to be a more subdued shade of green, but the neon color is starting to grow on me.  Now at least I can tell boaters clearly where we live;  the boat house with the bright lime green chairs.

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread 3V

This savory bread would be great with any of your Memorial Day picnic offerings.  Let’s remember our Veterans on this very special weekend.  My Father was a proud Marine who served duty in Guadalcanal during the Second World War.  My Brother, Bill, served two tours of duty in Vietnam.  They make me so proud. You can click to read more about it in this post.

Dad in Marine Uniform

Semper Fi.  And Happy Memorial Day.

SAVORY CHEESE AND CHIVE BREAD ( Dorie Greenspan’s Around my French Table )

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2-1 teaspoon salt (depending on what cheese and add-ins you’re using )
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or more to taste; you could even 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 generous cup coarsely grated Gruyere, Comte’, Emmenthal, or cheddar (about 4 ounces)
2 ounces Gruyere, Comte’, Emmenthal or cheddar, cut into very small cubes (I omitted this)
1/2 cup minced fresh chives or other herbs (or thinly sliced scallions)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to350 degrees F.  Generously butter an 8-x-4 1/2-x-2 3/4-inch loaf pan – a Pyrex pan is perfect here.  If your pan is slightly larger, go ahead and use it, but your loaf will be lower and you’ll have to check it for doneness a little earlier.

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’re foamy and blended.  Whisk in the milk and olive oil.

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’s no need to be energetic – in fact, beating the dough toughens it – nor do you need to be very thorough: just stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in the cheese, grated and cubed, the herbs, and the walnuts, if you’re using them.  You’ll have a thick dough.  Turn the dough into the buttered pan and even 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 into 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 the rack; invert and cool right side up.

Printable Recipe

20 responses to “Savory Cheese and Chive Bread”

  1. Penny @ The Comforts of Home says:

    I have that cookbook and that bread sounds and looks wonderful! You deck it looking great and I love the color of those green chairs!

    • Penny says:

      Glad you like the chairs Penny. Always depend on your good eye for design. It’s funny, I’ve had Dorie’s book for a good long time and I just spotted the bread recipe. It is a keeper.

  2. Nancy says:

    Oh my heavens, I think I can smell the aroma of that bread! They look scrumptious! I’d love to live on the water, your deck is looking awesome. Happy Memorial Day. Remembering your day, your uncle were and all Veterans. Your dad was a such handsome man!

    Enjoy your weekend.
    Nancy

    • Penny says:

      Enjoy your weekend too Nancy. Thanks for the compliment on Dad. He was handsome. At 6′ 2″ he cut an impressive image. No wonder my Mom fell in love with him. They had the best marriage of anyone I know. They set a great example.

  3. Monique says:

    You must be so proud..so so proud!
    What a handsome man..
    A uniform:)I love a man in a uniform.
    I have to tell you I am loving the green chairs too..a bit of punch:)
    Last year we nedded a new patio umbrella at the end of the season..not much was left..a few I loved at Pier One..that looked like 3 tiered parasols..Jacques wasn’t in love..we finally bought one almost the color of your chairs.. too me a while and now I love it..cheery!
    Boathouse..a beautiful word.Summer..
    Oh and thanks for the bread!!:)
    Enjoy the weekend..hope you are better and better.

    • Penny says:

      So glad you approve of the lime green chairs Monique! I value your sense of style and artistic eye. I think you would love the bread also. So fragrant and flavorful when toasted.

  4. “the best bread you ever made”…that says it all. 🙂

  5. Larry says:

    The bread sounds delicious Penny. Hard to beat sitting on the dock, sipping an adult beverage, and watching a leaf float by.

    • Penny says:

      And you would know, wouldn’t you Larry? I can just picture you there at Almost Heaven South sitting on the dock of the bay.

  6. Barbara says:

    I can’t imagine why I haven’t tried that bread…it’s a fabulous recipe and looks soooo good!
    Your lime chairs are fun and yes, I can see how they will be a good description of your dock when people are trying to find you. We had a (very) small lighthouse on Walloon Lake and used that as a beacon/description.

    • Penny says:

      Funny Barbara. I wonder if you miss Michigan sometimes. I have had Dorie’s book forever and just noticed this keeper of a recipe.

  7. Madonna says:

    Love Dorie and anything she does. Love your chairs – they match your tulips also. 🙂 I have a friend that quilts and she said everyone should have that color in their stash or if they paint in their paintbox.

    And, a thank you to your Father and Brother.

    • Penny says:

      Thanks Madonna. Lime green is a happy color. You are right about the tulip stems and the chairs. Guess that green is just a part of nature.

  8. Katie Zeller says:

    Great bread. I’ve made a similar one, but with less cheese and no walnuts. I like yours better 😉
    The hubs has made a few of those chairs over the years. He paints ours a darker green LOL

    • Penny says:

      Most people would. David is kind of quirky. LOL. Wondering if Dorie is right about the French eating this kind of savory bread. I assume so.

  9. Kate says:

    Love that bread! When I first made it, I wasn’t certain…but oh my, it is good, isn’t it? I love the splash of color on your deck! The color says, “happy”!

  10. Susan says:

    I’m made this very same recipe of Dorie’s and loved it! I do like the green color of the deck chairs. What a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the view of the lake. What a great military shot. Congrats to both your father and brother for their service.

    • Penny says:

      It is such an easy recipe Susan. Glad you liked it too. The green chairs have been getting a thumbs up all around, so David did not do badly afterall. Love that picture of my Dad.

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