BAKING BREAD WEEK 1: Classic cheese bread with Feta cheese

Homemade bread! Who can say no to a freshly baked loaf in whichever form it is done... savoury or sweet, in the classic way or a bit different when stuffed with various tasty fillings.... always homemade bread brings smiles to people's faces and there are times that we could stay all day long with just a nice loaf of bread nibbling away.... Lets start this week with a classic Greek homemade bread, the "tyropsomo" which can, also, be served easily as a snack, something easy to take with you at a picnic or at work and great for the kids for their school lunch. This version is the most common you can find all over the country but it doesn't mean that it is common in flavour! A good quality of Feta cheese and olive oil are the secrets and then everything is easy

Cooked by Maria Loi,

a prominent Head Cook and food author
"Kouzinomageiremata" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 6-7 individual breads):

450gr. of all-purpose flour
450gr. of wheat flour
450gr. of Feta cheese, crumbled

1/2  a cup extra virgin olive oil
1 sachet of active dry yeast

1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of dried oregano (optional)
2 cups of lukewarm water

extra all-purpose flour for dusting

extra olive oil for brushing

Method:
Put in a bowl the lukewarm water, add the yeast and stir thoroughly to dissolve.

Sift into another, larger, bowl the wheat and all-purpose flour. Add the salt, the olive oil, the dissolved yeast and knead with your hands to combine and form a soft dough. *** You may add accordingly some more water or flour so to reach the desired consistency.

Then add to the bowl half of the Feta cheese, the oregano (if used) and sprinkle with some extra flour in order to absorb the feta’s moisture and knead again to combine. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and leave aside for 30 minutes to rise.

Transfer the dough on a floured working surface and divide it into 6-7 equal pieces. Shape each one into a ball, cover them with the kitchen towel and leave aside for 10 minutes to rest.

Then transfer the dough balls on a greased baking pan and gently press each one down so to "open" them up a bit. Scatter on top the rest of the Feta and lightly press with your palms to make sure the cheese is stuck to the dough.

Preheat the oven to 170-175°C.

Brush the cheese breads with olive oil, cover with the kitchen towel and leave aside allowing them to rise for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Put in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, allow the “tyropsomo” to cool slightly and then serve, preferably, while they are still warm.