Cheese, Vegemite and spring onion pull-apart loaf

August 15, 2023

Cheese and Vegemite butter pull-apart loaf.William Meppem

Time:2 hours +Serves:6

This fun-to-make-and-eat bread is composed of individual pieces of dough which have been folded and stacked, then baked, to form one large loaf. Soft and fluffy within, the bread is easily pulled apart, making it perfect for sharing at the table. Flavoured with savoury Vegemite butter and cheese, it makes a great accompaniment to soup or a tasty starter on its own. It can also be modified into a sweet breakfast loaf by substituting the savoury filling with butter and cinnamon sugar.

Ingredients

200ml lukewarm milk
20g caster sugar
1½ tsp dried instant yeast
325g plain flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g unsalted butter, softened, plus 10g for greasing the loaf tin
1 tsp oil, for the bowl

FOR THE FILLING

90g unsalted butter, softened
10g Vegemite
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed or grated
20g parmesan, finely grated
3 spring onions, finely sliced
½ tsp flaky sea salt
¼ tsp cracked black pepper
150g combination of grated cheddar and firm, low- moisture mozzarella

Method

Step 1
Stir the milk, sugar and yeast in a medium bowl, then leave for a few minutes until foamy.
Step 2
Place the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and stir to combine. Add the beaten egg and yeast mixture and mix with the dough attachment on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, then increase the speed to medium and mix for about 5 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, scrape the soft, sticky dough out onto a floured work surface and knead to a smooth ball with floured hands. The dough will remain sticky initially, but do persevere, adding just enough flour to keep things moving and continuing to knead until it transforms into a smooth, soft dough.
Step 3
Coat the mixing bowl with the oil and gently turn the dough around in it to coat it. Cover and allow to prove in a warm place until it has doubled in size (1-1½ hours) or place it in the fridge to prove slowly for about 12 hours.
Step 4
While the dough is proving, prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients, except the grated cheddar and mozzarella, in a medium bowl and beating with a wooden spoon until creamy. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
Step 5
Grease a loaf pan about 20cm x 10cm in size with the extra softened butter and set aside.
Step 6
When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a floured work surface and press down to deflate it. Divide the dough into 12 pieces of about 50g each and roughly shape each into a ball. One at a time, flour the balls lightly, then use a rolling pin to flatten each into a circle about 12cm in diameter. With a small spatula or butter knife, spread about 2 tsp of the butter filling mixture over the circle and scatter about 12g of the cheddar-mozzarella mix on top. Fold in half to form a half-moon and press together, then place the dough vertically, curved side up, at one end of the buttered loaf tin. Repeat with the remaining balls, pressing each piece of folded dough, curved side up, against the last piece until the entire loaf pan is lined. (Note that there will be some cheese mix left over for scattering over the loaf before it goes into the oven, as well as some extra butter filling for brushing the loaf as it comes out of the oven.) Cover the pan loosely with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to rise (about 45 minutes).
Step 7
When the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 175C fan-forced (195C conventional). Scatter the remaining cheese over the top of the loaf and place the pan into the lower third of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional) and bake for a further 15 minutes until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and brush the top of the loaf with the remaining butter filling mix. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving, pulling the pieces apart to share.