Feta & herb loaf

    Calories per serving 118

    Serves 14
    Preparation time 10 minutes, plus proving
    Cooking time 45 minutes

    Ingredients: 

    200 g (7 oz) polenta
    100 g (3½ oz) rice flour
    50 g (2 oz) dried milk powder
    pinch of salt
    7 g (¼ oz) sachet fast – action dried yeast
    2 tsp caster sugar
    2 tsp xanthan gum
    3 eggs, beaten
    2 Tbs chopped mixed herbs
    450 ml (¾ pint) tepid water
    100 g (3½ oz) feta cheese, crumbled

     Preparation:

  • Grease and line a 1 kg (2 lb) loaf tin. 
  • Sift the polenta, flour, milk powder and salt into a large bowl and stir well to combine. 
  • Stir in the yeast, sugar and xanthan gum.
  • Place the eggs, herbs and measurement water in a bowl and mix together. 
  • Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients  and combine to form a soft dough. 
  • Beat for 5 minutes, then  stir in the feta cheese. 
  • Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes until the mixture is near the top of the tin. 
  • Bake in a preheated oven, 180˚C (350˚F), Gas Mark 4, for about 45 minutes until brown and hollow sounding when tapped. 
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • For polenta, spinach & chilli loaf, make the dough as above, replacing the feta cheese with 100 g (3½ oz) cooked spinach (squeezed dry in a tea towel, then finely chopped), 1 tsp caraway seeds and 1 deseeded and finely chopped red chilli. 
  • Leave to rise in the tin, bake and cool as above.