Beetroot, caraway and goat’s cheese bread

Making a bread which requires no yeast and no kneading has got to be the definition of simple! The texture is more ‘cakey’ as a result, best eaten with some salted butter (rather than used to make sandwiches). If you are warming it through, do so in the oven rather than in the toaster, as it’s quite crumbly. Once baked, it will keep in an airtight container for a week or in the freezer for up to a month – thaw before slicing and grilling.

BEETROOT, CARAWAY AND GOAT’S CHEESE BREAD

Makes one loaf, 10 slices

INGREDIENTS

• 50g rolled oats
• 10g thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 2 tsp nigella seeds
• 100g plain flour
• 100g wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 beetroots (raw, not the pre-cooked vac-packed kind), peeled and finely grated (200g)
• 2 large eggs
• 80ml sunflower oil, plus
• 1 tbsp extra for greasing
• 80g soured cream
• 1 tbsp honey
• 20g Parmesan, finely grated
• 120g young and creamy goat’s cheese, roughly broken into 2cm pieces
• Salt

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Grease and line the base of a 20 x 10cm loaf tin.

Mix together the oats, thyme, pumpkin, caraway and nigella seeds in a small bowl. Put both flours into a separate bowl with the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Whisk to combine and aerate, then add the grated beetroot and all but 1 tablespoon of the oat and seed mix. Don’t stir the mixture: just set it aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, soured cream, honey and Parmesan. Pour over the flour and beetroot mixture, then, using a spatula, mix to combine. Add the goat’s cheese and carefully fold through, trying not to break the pieces as you go.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle over the remaining tablespoon of oats and seeds. Bake for 40 minutes, then cover tightly with foil and bake for another 40 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle will not come out completely clean but it should not be too wet. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then tip on to a wire rack and invert it back on itself so that it is seed side up. The outside will be quite crisp and dark. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.