Blue Cheese Herb Loaf

Tomorrow we are going on a picnic with friends and one of the things I am to take is the bread. I could have just bought a loaf but that would never be as satisfying as making my own. I decided to make a loaf with a blue cheese and herb swirl through it which would go well with a glass of wine, pickles and terrine which I also will pack away in the picnic hamper!

Ingredients

• 500g flour
• 50g butter, at room temperature
• 1 packet dry yeast (1 tbsp)
• 300ml luke warm milk
• 1 egg yolk for glaze
• 150g blue cheese
• large handful of  fresh thyme or oregano

Method

• Place the flour  in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
• Add the yeast to the warm milk and allow yeast to grow a little (will become frothy).
• Add the yeast and milk to the flour with your hands, before it becomes a dough add the butter into the mixture and combine.
• Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is elastic and shiny. It may be easier to make this with a food mixer and dough hook attachment but unfortunately I do not have one so I had to resort to good old fashioned muscle power! 
• Cover dough with cling film and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in size.
• Knead the dough again for 5 minutes and then roll into an oblong shape (see chocolate brioche method photo) which will fit your tin in length.
• Crumble or slice the blued cheese and lay across the dough.
• Sprinkle herbs across the whole dough.
• Roll the dough up loosely length ways (see chocolate brioche method photo) and put into a kugelhof cake tin for the round form. You can also use a normal loaf tin but if the tins are small you may need two.
• Keep the dough in a warm place covered with cling film until it has doubled in size (see chocolate brioche method photo)
• Preheat the oven at 180 centigrade.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, if you tap the bread it should sound hollow.
• Remove, unmold and let cool on a rack.