Marmite glazed cheese tear and share loaf

I was at a wedding reception recently, not knowing anyone sitting at the same table as me. This could have been awkward, but my company for the evening was absolutely delightful and conversation soon turned to the subject of food. It turned out that the couple next to me were big foodies too and loved cooking! We exchanged email addresses and said that we could be recipe buddies! This was the first recipe sent to me and will definitely be one I bake many times. The bread was light and soft thanks to the Wrights packet ciabatta mix and had that great creamy texture from the cheese and salty tang from Marmite. Served with a piping bowl of soup, it made a divine supper!

Ingredients

500g pack ciabatta bread mix (I used Wright’s)

1tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

150g Mature cheddar cheese

2tbsp milk

15g unsalted butter, softened

1tbsp Marmite

You will need

·     a 25cm round cake tin, greased and the base lined with baking parchment

Method

1.    Mix the ciabatta dough according to the pack instructions, adding the olive oil, then bring the dough together with your hands and form into a ball. Knead for 10 minutes on a floured surface, until smooth and elastic.

2.    Transfer to a large, clean, oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. When the dough has doubled in size, remove from the bowl, then knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, to knock the air out of it.

3.    Cut 100g of the cheese into cubes and grate the remaining 50g; set aside until needed.

4.    Heat the oven to 180C fan, gas 6.

5.    Divide the dough into 20 even pieces and shape into a flat circle. Put a cube of cheese into the centre of one and shape into a dough ball, so that the cheese is a nice melted surprise when you bite into your share.

6.    Repeat with all the bread and fill the cake tin. Cover loosely with cling film and leave in a warm place to prove for 20 minutes, until the dough has puffed up slightly again. Any left over balls can be baked as bonus separate mini loaves!

7.    Brush the dough with milk and scatter with the remaining grated cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen and golden.

8.    Melt the butter with the Marmite. As soon as the loaf comes out of the oven, using a pastry brush to paint a generous coating of the salty, buttery marmite glaze.

Best served warm, but let’s face it, cheese and Marmite together will work together whether hot or cold!

Adapted from a Woman and Home recipe