Stilton and Bacon is a combination that go naturally together, with the saltiness and smokiness of the bacon and the strong tang of the stilton being used for a multitude of recipes including quiches, sauces, or for filling and wrapping chicken. But one of the best ways to combine these flavours are to incorporate them straight into a beautiful loaf of bread. Served warm with some butter, or as an accompaniment to soups, this is a wonderful loaf that’s just packed full of flavour.
Stilton & Bacon Loaf
Print RecipeIngredients
- 500g Strong White Flour
- 10g Fast Acting Yeast
- 5g Salt
- 60g Butter, softened
- 320ml Water
- 200g Smoked Back Bacon
- 200g Stilton
Instructions
Add the flour to a large bowl along with the yeast and the salt, making sure the salt and yeast are on opposite sides of the bowl.
Add in the softened butter in pieces and three-quarters of the water, and combine together into a rough dough.
Combine the rest of the water little by little - you may not need it it all - until you get a dough that is soft and sticky and all the butter is incorporated.
Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface, and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the bowl into a clean bowl and cover with a clean tea towel or place into a large plastic bag and leave to prove for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled or even tripled in size.
While the dough proves, cook the bacon so that it's cooked but not overdone as it will continue to cook in the oven, then leave to cool.
Roughly chop the bacon - making sure it's not too fine - and chop the stilton into irregular chunks with some larger and some small. The larger chunks will give lovely bursts of stilton once the bread is cooked!
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface surface and knock out all of the air by flattening it out into a rough circle shape.
Add the bacon and the stilton into the dough and really work it into the dough, making sure everything is fully incorporated into the dough and the dough holds it's shape.
Flatten the dough out into a circle and the fold the sides of the dough into itself 6 to 8 times. Turn the dough over and tuck and work it into a round cob shape.
Lightly flour a baking tray or baking stone, place the dough on and cover lightly with a tea towel and leave to prove again for another hour or until it's doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/390°F/Gas Mark 7.
Lightly dust the loaf with flour and place into the oven to bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a lovely, dark golden brown and the loaf is hollow sounding.
