Read Online Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan - Free Book Online

well, the bread will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer (thaw in the wrapper).
     
    BONNE IDÉE
There's a lot you can do to vary this loaf; an easy change is to swap the tapenade for pesto (homemade, [>] , or store-bought) and to replace the olives with bits of sun-dried tomatoes (or go half olives, half tomatoes). If you use pesto, you might want to add some toasted pine nuts to the mix. No matter what you use, you can top the loaf with some grated cheese before it goes into the oven, but watch it carefully: if it browns too quickly, cover the top loosely with a foil tent.

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread
    I KNOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD OLD American quick bread, but it's got a French soul, since I was inspired to make it after having had so many versions in so many places across France, particularly in the Champagne region. There the savory cake (just about anything baked in a loaf pan is called a
cake
in France) is often served with aperitifs, but it's also perfect for brunch, really good with salads, and so satisfying when lightly toasted and buttered.
    The
cake salé,
as it's known
(salé
means salty or savory), is about as simple a recipe as you can find in the baker's repertoire. In many ways, it's like a muffin, and it's prepared in much the same manner: you whisk all the dry ingredients together in one bowl, all the wet in another, and then gently combine the two. It takes less than 10 minutes to put together and requires no special equipment.
    In France, the basic loaf usually has some cheese—generally Gruyère, Emmenthal, or Comté, sometimes Parmesan, and often a combination (it's a great way to use those odd-sized pieces of cheese that seem to collect in the fridge)—and can have more add-ins. For this version, I've kept it simple, using just cheese and lots of snipped chives. In the United States, my preference is for cheddar and some chives from the garden. But this is a recipe that begs for variation (see Bonne Idée) and something to sip along with it. While you're cooling the bread, cool some wine too.
1¾
cups all-purpose flour
1
tablespoon baking powder
½-1
teaspoon salt (depending on what cheese and add-ins you're using)
¼
teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or more to taste; you could even add a pinch of cayenne)
3
large eggs, at room temperature
⅓
cup whole milk, at room temperature
⅓
cup extra-virgin olive oil
1
generous cup coarsely grated Gruyère, Comté, Emmenthal, or cheddar (about 4 ounces)
2
ounces Gruyère, Comté, Emmenthal, or cheddar, cut into very small cubes (½–⅔, cup)
½
cup minced fresh chives or other herbs (or thinly sliced scallions)
⅓
cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional)
    Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8-×-4½-×-2¾-inch loaf pan—a Pyrex pan is perfect here. If your pan is slightly larger, go ahead and use it, but your loaf will be lower and you'll have to check it for doneness a little earlier.
    Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and white pepper together in a large bowl.
    Put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk for about 1 minute, until they're foamy and blended. Whisk in the milk and olive oil.

    Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and, using a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, gently mix until the dough comes together. There's no need to be energetic—in fact, beating the dough toughens it—nor do you need to be very thorough: just stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the cheese, grated and cubed, the herbs, and the walnuts, if you're using them. You'll have a thick dough. Turn the dough into the buttered pan and even the top with the back of the spatula or spoon.
    Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden and a slender knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and wait for about 3 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pan and turn the loaf over onto