The other week I shared my Chicken Liver Parfait and this easy bread is a great accompaniment to share with it.  What I really like is that once it is over a day old it toasts beautifully and is even more delicious buttered with the parfait.  For a change you can use other herbs like dill or thyme – they all work well.  This recipe makes 2 loaves and can easily be halved if you only want to make one.

Ingredients

120 ml lukewarm water

2 sachets dried yeast (14g)

540g strong white flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp finely chopped shallots

480g cottage cheese

2 tbsp. very finely chopped chives (or whatever herb you are using)

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp sea salt to sprinkle on top

Method

1. Pour the lukewarm water into a jug and sprinkle over the yeast – set aside for 10 minutes until the yeast has dissolved
2. Grease and flour 2 x 500g loaf tins
3. Sift Flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and make a well in the centre
4. In another bowl combine the shallots, cottage cheese, chives, sugar and eggs, then pour into the yeast mixture
5. Slowly pour the mix into the flour bowl, mixing with your hands to make a soft dough
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until you have a smooth and elastic mixture.  Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film or a tea towel and leave to prove until doubled in size – should take about 1 hour
7. Knock back the dough and lightly knead before diving into two and shaping into two rectangles and placing in the loaf tins
8. Again cover with oiled cling film or a cloth and leave to prove for a further 40 mins
9. In the meantime, heat the oven to 190 c degrees
10. Bake in the oven until golden on the top and sounds hollow when you tap on the bottom

Sprinkle with sea salt, leave in tins for