Easy Cheesy Pepper Loaf - Or a Taste of Ireland
We're coming up to St. Patrick's Day which has reminded me of a driving holiday I took with a couple of friends a few years ago around Ireland.  Being tourists we (of course) did the Ring of Kerry, Moll's Gap and made an attempt at Blarney Castle - but it was absolutely rammed with other tourists, so we took in the beautiful grounds and gardens before heading off again! Then on down the west coast to Bantry, Kinsale and Cork - although I may have that in the wrong order.  We stayed in small hotels, pubs and guest houses along the way, it was completely brilliant.  Now, Irish hospitality is the stuff of legend, so I expected us to be well fed and cared for...what I didn't expect was the amazing array of breads, cakes and scones that seemed to appear out of thin air as soon as we arrived anywhere.  Mostly, they seemed to be based on a Soda Bread style of loaf but with a million variations! So, in honour of St Patrick's Day I offer my best attempt at copying one of those quick breads.  The easy cheesy part is entirely authentic though I must confess the addition of roasted peppers is my idea...you could add some chopped chilli or jalapeno too for a bit of bite.  See what I mean?  A million variations present themselves from a basic recipe!

400g / 3 cups plain or all purpose flour
1 tsp bicarb / baking soda
2 tsps cream of tartar
1 tsp fine or table salt
2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar in brine not vinegar, or home roasted fresh ones)
150g / 6oz good strong cheddar style cheese, grated
25g / 1oz of the same cheese, grated, for sprinkling on the top
75g / 3oz unsalted butter, melted
265ml or 1 cup + 1 tblsp milk at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C / 375 F and line a large loaf tin.
2. Chop the roasted peppers, then thoroughly mix them with the flour, bicarb, cream of tartar, salt and 150g of cheese.
3. In a separate bowl mix the melted butter and milk, then pour them onto the dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly but don't over-mix them as this will make the loaf tough.  The mixture will be fairly sticky.
4. Turn into the prepared tin, level the surface, then sprinkly over the remaining 25g of grated cheese.  Bake for 30-35 mins depending on your oven, or until it passes the clean skewer test.
5. Cool the loaf a little (say for 15-20 mins) before slicing thickly and serving on its own, as part of afternoon tea, or with soup.  

Welcome to Better Get Baking.  So what to put on my first post?  I decided that "Fortune Favours the Bold" so I've gone for some big bold flavours from a lunch in Provence.

Pissaladiere - some claim it's the original pizza: a French creation enjoyed (and made) by the Papal entourage whilst resident in Avignon, then taken to Italy where tomatoes and cheese were added.  Others say it was brought to France by the Italians and the French removed the cheese and tomatoes.  I have no idea if any of that's true, but I know that it's easy to make and really good to eat.  Plus, you can make it from the pantry - no trips to specialist shops (or even the supermarket) are required...how good is that?

For the topping:
2 large or 3 medium onions, sliced across into half moons
3 tblsp olive oil
1 good fat pinch of salt
1 heaped tblsp Dijon mustard
10-12 anchovies, sliced in half lengthways so you have long thin strips
12-15 pitted black olives sliced in half

1. Place the onions, olive oil and pinch of salt into a saucepan (if you have one with a glass lid that would be great), bring to a good sizzle then reduce the heat to low/medium, put the lid on and cook for around 40 mins - stirring occasionally - until they are caramelised and golden brown (the glass lid makes your life really easy!).

For the base:
2 cups of plain or all purpose flour
1 tsp table or fine salt
2 tsps instant dried yeast
Approx 140mls warm water

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl, start by adding 120mls (about 1/2 a cup) of warm water and mix - either with the dough hook on your mixer, or by hand (that's my preferred method).  You need to bring the dough together so that it leaves the sides of the bowl clean without being sticky.  If you need more water, add it a tablespoonful at a time...and if you find that the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.
2. Next, turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead it for about 10 minutes.  You will suddenly feel the dough become softer and more pliable - when that happens, it's ready for rolling.  Now, providing you use instant dried yeast you can use the dough straight away.  If you couldn't get the instant variety, leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 45 mins, knock it back, knead it a little and now you're ready to roll!
3. Roll out the dough to a 30x20cm (12x8in) rectangle and place on a lined baking sheet.
4. Spread the Dijon mustard over the rolled out dough using an offset spatula, then top that with the caramelised onions.  The mustard and the onions can be spread right to the edge if you'd prefer a more uniform look when slicing it later.
5. Next, arrange the slivers of anchovy in a lattice pattern over the onions and place a piece of olive at each intersection.
6. Bake at 220 C / 425 F for approx 20-25 minutes until the dough base is crisp.

Allow to cool a little then cut into squares or wedges and serve on their own as an appetizer, or with a salad for lunch.