Potato bread filled with roast vegetables and myzithra cheese

This is a cold first dish which will impress you with its taste and presentation. Ideal for a party, a buffet or for a picnic it is not difficult to put together and you can always adjust the vegetables with those which are in season or those you prefer better. When we first had this bread we thought it was one of the most delicious recipes but my first attempt to make it didn't go so well. I'm not sure where I went wrong but the bread seemed to come out more moist that it should but then I thought that perhaps the specific vegetables were too "watery" for such a recipe... Second time round, without changing anything, things were better and the bread stood full of pride on its tray without any problems. The only thing I will change next time is to season the vegetables a little more but this is a matter of personal taste. I know that it is not easy to find abroad the cheese indicated in the recipe so you can substitute with Anthotyro cheese which is easier to find or even with goat's cheese

Slightly adapted from "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 10 people)


For the bread:
400gr. of all-purpose flour
15gr. of baker's yeast (or 1 sachet of dried yeast)
3 level tbsp of sugar
6 tbsp of lukewarm water
120ml of fresh milk
100gr. of butter, at room temperature
1 ½ tsp of salt
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg beaten
2 small potatoes, already boiled and mashed

For the vegetables:
1Kg of aubergines (the plum ones)
2 Florina red peppers from a jar, rinsed (or roast red bell peppers)
2-3 medium courgettes
500gr. Greek fresh sour myzithra cheese (or anthotyro cheese or goat's cheese)
finely chopped fresh thyme or spearmint or marjoram (optional - my addition)
salt
pepper

Method:
In a bowl dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water along with the sugar. Leave aside for 10 minutes in a warm place until bubbles form on the surface of the mixture.

In a saucepan warm the milk with the butter on medium-low heat until the butter is melted but don't let it come to the boil.

Put the flour in a large bowl, make a small well in the centre of it and add the yeast mixture, the milk/butter mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Knead the ingredients until you have an elastic dough.

Brush with some butter and dust with some flour a long cake tin. Empty the dough in the tin, cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave in a lukewarm place until it doubles in size.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 190°C.

Cut the aubergines and the courgettes in thinnish slices, brush with some oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once. Cut the Florina peppers in half lengthwise and leave aside.

Put the bread in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread to see if it comes out clean. If so then the bread is ready. Take out of the oven and leave in the tin for a few minutes. Then turn the bread onto a rack and allow to cool completely.

Cut some of the top of the bread, lengthwise, (like a lid) and carefully remove the crumb. Fill the inside with layers of vegetables and cheese, seasoning in between with a bit of the herb you prefer.

Cover the bread with its lid and then keep in the fridge, covered with some cling film, for 1 hour to set.

Cut in slices and serve.