Thursday, March 3, 2011

French Friday with Dorie: Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

TWO VARIETIES OF SAVORY AND CHEESY BREAD
I love fresh breads.  I love baking them, smelling them, eating them, enjoying their textures and varieties...and this evening I loved baking a new savory, cheesy bread just for fun.  Dinner was cleaned up and I had an hour to myself...always a nice combination for baking.

I had bricks of Comte,  Swiss, and jalapeno cheddar cheeses in my fridge.  I have chives and a variety of peppers in my garden...all that has survived from this coldest winter since the 80's.  I decided to make the recipe as written and with the walnuts and a pinch of cayenne,  and then to make a 2nd batch with the jalapeno cheddar, red peppers, and onion.  I decided to have a family taste test.

ALL INGREDIENTS ARE READIED
THE TWO VERSIONS ARE READY FOR THE OVEN
It took about 30 minutes to ready all the ingredients which included shredded and diced cheeses and veges/herbs.  While the breads were baking I mowed my front lawn which takes about the same amount of time as the baking required.  Just as I finished, I looked down the street and caught my breath when I saw nature’s beauty in a AZ sunset.  I couldn’t believe that I had not noticed this spectacular vision when it was right in front of my eyes.  Since my trusty little point-and-shoot camera was handy from taking a few bread pics I snapped a couple of sunset pics just to remind myself to enjoy not only the anticipated bread which was almost ready to exit the oven, but also the beauties in our wonderful world...and I’m glad I did, because sadly I quickly forgot the sunset until I retrieved my baking photos and there it was again...the sunset and the sunset again only two minutes later...and then it was gone.


LOOKING WEST FROM MY FRONT DOOR

JUST TWO MINUTES LATER
And then to go back into the house and be greeted by the wonderful aroma from the baking savory breads was incredible.  It was hard to be patient letting the breads cool.  They not only smelled terrific, but they were beautiful. The FFwD recipe was green and browns from the chives, cheeses and walnuts.  The jalapeno cheddar was orange and reds from the cheese and peppers.  Just looking at these beautiful savory breads made my mouth water.

When sliced it was easy to see how clever the recipe is to have us add both grated and diced cheeses...the grated cheese melts and the dicedcheese leaves little pieces through the bread adding to the beauty and texture and flavor of this awesome savory bread.

THE BREADS JUST OUT OF THE OVEN

THE FFwD RECIPE


SLICED
It was interesting to me that the jalapeno cheddar version rose up higher in the pan and was a lighter texture.  The Comte cheese seemed to melt better and created a denser version; both were delicious.



JALAPENO-CHEDDAR-RED PEPPER-ONION VERSION

SLICED

Several of my family stopped by and, of course, they wanted to try the breads.  Personally I enjoyed the more intense flavors of the jalapeno cheddar/peppers bread.   Hubby chose FfwD as his favored slice, and the rest of my family was divided evenly as to their favorite.  We all suggested meals that would go well with the breads such as a fish or seafood dinner, a bowl of spicy chili, or a fresh garden salad seemed to be favorite ideas. 

This is another recipe that will be used again and I think it would make a tasty gift as an alternative to the usual sweet breads.  It will be fun to choose other ingredients and flavors to try.  Again I am appreciative of this baking “assignment” as I am a sweet girl and might have overlooked this delicious savory recipe.
 

29 comments:

  1. Your bread looks great & I think this is one of those great basic recipes that you can play around with - I used cheddar, tarragon, chives & sage - because that's what I had on-hand & in my garden. But, your sunset photos are stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't think I would have tried this either, if it wasn't on the schedule, but we really enjoyed it. Your sunset photos are gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How fun to try two varieties! They look quite yummy and your sunset is amazing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Both your breads look great. Love your sunset pictures too! It's so great how FFWD pushes us to try these new and lovely things!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kudos for making two versions! Both look mouth-watering!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great photos of the sunset and the cooking!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think I would have passed by this one too, but I am glad I tried it. Loved your variations. And how jealous I am that you can mow your lawn. Mine is still buried under a couple of feet of frozen snow :-(

    ReplyDelete
  8. Both breads look delicious and I like the idea of using peppers in this recipe. I think I would have a difficult time choosing between the two as well. The photos of the sunset are so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the idea of using jalapeno cheese in your second batch of bread. I love a good burst of heat in baked goods. And the pictures of the sunset are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I used Comte cheese and also got a denser looking loaf than from the picture in the book. Gorgeous sunsets!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I made two versions too. I think I would have liked the jalepeno version as I wanted lots of oomph in this bread. And more salt.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a great idea to have a taste-off! I can't wait to try the other variations of this one and think my husband would love the addition of jalapeno. I love that you have everything so nicely organized in the second picture :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Gorgeous sunset! Thanks for sharing it:) Cheddar and jalapeno sounds yum.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love your sunset photos. I was feeling so much calmer and at peace after seeing a sunset with those gorgeous colors.

    Both of your breads look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Both breads look so delicious! And that sunset is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh my goodness, your breads both look wonderful. What a great idea about the jalapeno cheese and other additions... I will definitely try that!

    As a fellow Arizonan, I will attest that your sunset photos are completely accurate - and of course, so beauiful. Nice!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I like the sound of the jalapeño version - I like a bit of kick. Thanks for sharing the sunset - it's gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a great idea to compare two versions! Your spicy one sounds fabulous~

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love that you made two and had a taste test. The jalapeno one sounds very appealing. And that sunset is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kris, I love the cheddar jalapeno version. It reminds me of Texas where I grew up. My version with gruyere did not rise much either...i was wondering if the cheese or add ins made a difference in the rise factor.
    Have a lovely week!
    bonnie

    ReplyDelete
  21. How wonderful that you were able to make 2 ! I barely made my one this week but with the "white" cheeses I used it ended up looking very different than Nana's cheddar version. Great fun to see the differences and we both look forward to trying it with different ingredients next time. Loved your sunset shot. I have noticed some beautiful rises and sets lately in PA and usually call out to family members to look since they last only minutes :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yum the loafs of bread look great! Im glad everyone enjoyed..love the sunrise...beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Kris, this is a gorgeous bread. The colors in it are riveting. I'm new here and have just spent some time browsing through your earlier entries. I'm so glad I did. I really like the food and recipes you feature here. I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  24. I really enjoyed your bread comparison! It's nice to know it is such a versatile recipe. Both of them look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  25. You gave me several new ideas! But you always do that one little extra thing:)
    I would go for the jalapeno cheddar bread myself:) What a great recipe this was!
    I love the photo of the sunset. So true, just because it happens every day, we should not take it for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love your sunset photo! Your breads look nice. Your variations look terrific. My bread was pretty tasteless :(

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love the idea of jalapeno cheese in this bread. It looks great, and I bet it tasted fantastic, too!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Mmmm cheddar-jalapeno sounds good! Both of ur loaves turned out beautiful :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. I was surprised how quick the assembly was, and thankful. Your breads look delish.

    ReplyDelete