Festive Leftovers

There’s so much snacking going on on Christmas Day, we’re often left with leftovers. If you’re stuck for ideas to make use of them, why not try this tasty savoury bread wreath…

Savoury Bread Wreath

Ingredients:

500g strong white bread flour

7g fast-action dried yeast

10g salt

30ml olive oil

300ml lukewarm water

100g grated leftover cheeses

100g cooked and chopped leftover ham

50g black or green olives chopped

50 g dried cranberries

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten (for glazing)

Method:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the olive oil and lukewarm water.

2.  Mix to form a dough, then knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

3.  Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Prepare the filling:

4. In a separate bowl, mix together the grated cheddar, cooked ham, chopped olives, cranberries and chopped onion.

Assemble the bread:

5. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface.

6.  Roll the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 30cm x 40cm.

7.  Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a border of about 2cm.

8.  Roll the dough up from the long side, then slice it in half lengthways, leaving 1 end intact.

9.  Twist the two lengths of dough around each other to form a plait/stripy bread stick shape, then bring the ends together to form a wreath. The cut edges will show the filling and some may fall out but that’s ok.

Bake the bread:

10. Transfer the bread wreath to a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

11. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

12. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

13. Brush the bread with beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

14. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving. It's delicious on its own or served with soup or salad.