I’m supposed to be cleaning. But all I can think about is making some bread. This bread.
And the sad thing. I just made a loaf of it yesterday. Apparently, I’m a greedy bread eater, because I want more. The loaf from yesterday. Almost gone. Yup. And that makes me sad. I don’t want it to be gone. So what should I do? Vacuum? Finish the laundry? Or bake some bread? Hmmm.
But look at it.
How could you say no?
I didn’t. I couldn’t. The dust will have to learn to mingle with the delicious scent of home made bread, because I can’t say no to a recipe so ridiculously easy and good and yeastless that it seems unfair. Unfair that you could make it for Thanksgiving, impress all your guests, and they’ll never know it only took a short amount of time to throw together. Unfair that I tweaked it just enough to make it a little healthier by replacing 1 cup of cheese with a compromise: 1/2 cup cheese + 1/2 cup crushed walnuts. So forget cleaning. Baking is much more fun anyway.
Ah, yes. This is much better.
Oh, and this loaf is actually pretty petite. You could try doubling the recipe to make more. Or you could always make it two days in a row like I did when you realize one is not nearly enough.
Sage and walnut damper bread
adapted from foodandspice.blogspot.com/2008/09/cheese-and-sage-damper-bread.html
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup kashkaval cheese (or gouda or a good quality firmer cheese)
- 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped sage
- 1 cup skim milk (or plain soy milk), plus a little extra for brushing on top of bread
- 2 teaspoons quick cooking oats, for topping
How To Make It
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Lightly butter and flour a baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add butter and mix with fingers until crumbly. Stir in cheese, crushed walnuts, sage and flaxseed. Gradually add the milk and mix to combine until it forms a dough.
- Working with hands, gather the dough together and knead a few times to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated (I did this directly in the bowl to minimize clean up). Pat the dough down to form a circle about 7 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick. Transfer to baking sheet.
- Brush top of dough with milk and sprinkle with oats, patting them down lightly so they adhere to the surface.
- Score the dough into 8 wedges, cutting a little more than halfway through. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving. And repeat again tomorrow.
This bread looks fantastic! I make a lot of wheaten bread (or soda bread) with whole wheat, and this looks similar, but the cheese and walnuts sound like wonderful additions.