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The golden, olive-studded crust of this Mediterranean-style loaf hides a gorgeous green veggie filling, swirled into the dough before baking. Simply follow our step-by-step recipe to bake it yourself at home, just remember to check out the ingredients list at the bottom before you get started.
Mix 500g strong white flour, a 7g sachet of fast-action yeast and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour 300ml lukewarm water and 3 tbsp oil into the well and stir to combine.
Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins or until you have a smooth dough. To knead, use the heel of your hand to stretch the dough away and fold it back on itself, turning 90° between stretches. Add a little flour if needed. It will hold together in a smooth ball when ready. Put in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with lightly oiled clingfilm. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, add 125g asparagus tips, roughly chopped, and stir-fry for 2 mins. Coarsely grate 1 small courgette (about 125g), add to the pan and stir-fry for 2-3 mins until both are tender and any liquid released has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely, then stir through 100g pitted green olives, drained and halved lengthways, and 35g finely grated vegetarian hard cheese.
Knock back the dough by pressing down firmly into the centre of the dough with your fist. Knocking back makes the dough easier to handle and helps to create a uniform texture.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 40 x 30cm rectangle. Spread the vegetable mix over the dough, leaving a 2cm border. Make sure the filling is evenly distributed so the dough can be rolled as tightly as possible. The border means the filling can be be completely enclosed or it may fall out and scorch when baked.
Fold the border over the filling, pressing gently to seal them in place. Roll up from a short edge as tightly as you can to give the loaf a nice even shape and lovely layers inside once baked.
Enclose each end by gently stretching over the dough from the top, then pinch the seams together on the underside. Don’t worry if there are a few tiny holes or tears by the seam, these will close as the dough expands on the second prove. Place the loaf, seam-side down, on a baking tray lined with nonstick baking paper. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C.
Remove the clingfilm, gently brush the loaf with 1 beaten egg and top with an extra 25g grated vegetarian hard cheese and 25g olives, sliced into rounds. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath (loosely cover with foil after 25 mins if the loaf is browning too quickly).
Transfer immediately to a wire rack and leave to cool – it’s crucial that you cool the loaf on a wire rack because, with so much filling, the crust will become damp and soggy in minutes if the bread is left on the baking tray. Carefully slice after around 30 mins if you want to eat it warm, or leave to cool completely. It’s best eaten on the day it’s made.
A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar will bring out the Mediterranean flavours in this loaf. Try serving it with slices of Brie or crumbly mature Cheddar for a delicious lunchtime treat or snack, or with scrambled egg for a hearty brunch.
We've prepared a simple shopping list so you can easily get all you need to make this impressive veg-swirled bread. Be sure to note down the ingredients or take a screenshot before heading to the shops.
500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting7g sachet fast-action yeast 1 tsp salt 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing 125g pack asparagus tips, roughly chopped 1 small courgette (about 125g), trimmed and coarsely grated100g pitted queen green olives, drained, dried and halved lengthways, plus 25g, sliced into rounds to garnish 50g vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated 1 egg, beaten
Serves 14
of the reference intake Carbohydrate 29.6g Protein 6.2g Fibre 1.4g
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