Ok so you might not have any leftover cheese but, as Christmas and New Year roll by, it’s likely that you may have a few little pieces left from recent feasts. This cheeseboard leftovers flatbread combines oozing, melted strong cheese with tangy fruit, crunchy walnuts and a sweet chutney glaze and is delicious warm from the oven.
Ingredients
500 grams strong white bread flour
250 grams malted bread flour
1.5 teaspoon (7 grams) dried active yeast
2.5 teaspoons (15 grams) salt
640 millilitres water
For the filling
100g leftover cheese eg Camembert, strong Cheddar, Brie
1 eating apple (I used a Granny Smith apple)
60g walnuts
For the glaze
Chutney of your choice (I used a caramelised onion chutney)
Method
1. Mix together the flours, yeast and salt into a large mixing bowl, avoiding direct contact between the salt and yeast. Pour in the water and mix together until no dry flour remains.
2. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a clean, un-floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic. The dough will be quite sticky to start with but keep going!
3. Shape the dough into a rough ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise for 1 – 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
4. Turn on the oven to 100oC. Spread the walnuts out on a baking tray and lightly toast them in the oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
5. Peel, core and very thinly slice the apple. Thinly slice the cheese.
6. Turn the dough out of the bowl and gently deflate it by kneading it for a minute or two. Turn up oven to 230oC and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
7. Shape your breads. Divide the dough into three pieces of roughly 420g each. Flatten each piece out into a large rectangle approximately the thickness of a pound coin. Dot the sliced cheese and apple across each rectangle of dough, then break up the toasted walnuts and sprinkle them across the dough.
8. Fold the corners of the dough rectangle into the middle and press together.
9. Turn the flatbread over and place on the lined baking tray. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.
10. Once risen, use a sharp knife or baking lame to score a deep pattern into the flatbread – the scores should open up as holes in the dough.
11. Bake the flatbreads in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, until a deep golden brown. Whilst the flatbreads are baking, warm the chutney in a bowl in the microwave for 15 – 30 seconds. As soon as the flatbreads are out of the oven, glaze them with the warmed chutney and slice up – this bread is best served warm.
Want more bread making recipes, hints and tips? Check out my other blog posts for more bread making inspiration.
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