Delia

Watercress and Lancashire Cheese Bread

This blissfully easy bread is crunchy and crusty on the outside and soft and squidgy within. It is a treat served warm from the oven but can also be made ahead and re-heated. It even freezes well.

Makes 1 loaf

This recipe is taken from Delia's Christmas Easy

Watercress and Lancashire Cheese Bread
Ingredients
 2 oz (50 g) watercress, roughly chopped
 4 oz (110 g) Lancashire cheese, roughly crumbled into 1/2 inch (1 cm) pieces
 6 oz (175 g) self-raising flour, plus a little extra for the top of the loaf
 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped, including the green parts
 1 medium Desiree potato, weighing about 6 oz (175 g)
 1 large egg
 2-3 tablespoons milk
 salt
 Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375, (190 C).
Equipment

You will also need a small, solid baking tray, very well greased.

Method

All you do is sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the watercress, two-thirds of the cheese, the spring onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Then, thinly pare off the potato skin using a potato peeler and, using the coarse side of a grater, grate the potato straight into the flour.

Now, using a palette knife, give everything a really good mix. Beat the egg and milk together and gradually add it all to the mixture until you have a loose, rough dough. Now transfer it to the baking tray and, still keeping the rough texture, pat it gently into a 6 inch (15 cm) round with your hands. Next, lightly press the rest of the cheese over the surface, sprinkle with a little flour and bake the bread on the middle shelf of the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until golden-brown. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with Watercress and Buttermilk Vichyssoise.

To make this recipe gluten-free: This recipe also works well using gluten-free self-raising white flour. Or use plain gluten-free flour and simply add 11/2 teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder when you sift the flour 
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