Type: appetizer, snack, side
Prep Time: 20 min. + 30 min. resting time
Cook Time: 60 min.
Ready in: 2 hours
Makes: 1 loaf
A twisty, cheesy bread, great for entertaining or serving alongside pasta.
Directions
Grease a 9” loaf pan. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a wok or frying pan and sauté the garlic for 1 min over medium-high heat. Add the spinach in sections and cook until wilted. Set a colander over a bowl. Drain in colander and cool for 5 min. Using the back of a spoon, squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as possible. Reserve water.
Place the spinach and garlic mixture, and parsley in the tall blending cup of an immersion blender or a food processor. Purée until smooth. Add drained water as needed to aid blending. Season to taste with pepper.
Lightly dust work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough into an approximate 10” x 15” rectangle. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the dough, keeping 1” (3 cm) away from the edges. Top evenly with grated Beemster.
Roll up the dough from the long side. If dough is sticking, lightly dust work surface with flour. Cut the roll in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, so that you have two long halves and the inside layers facing up. From the top, twist the strips of dough over and under each other to form a "braid”. At each end, pinch the two halves together.
Carefully place the braided bread in the greased pan, layers facing up and tucking the ends under. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest 30 minutes while oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Bake in the center of the oven. Rotate after 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil. Continue baking until done, about another 30 minutes.
Ingredients
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
5 oz (142 g) spinach, washed and dried
1 ½ C (180 g) Beemster Cheese, grated (Mild, Farmers’ Choice, Vlaskaas, Royaal 4-month, Signature 12-month)
¼ C (15 g) fresh flat (Italian) parsley
16 oz (453g) fresh pizza dough (refrigerated, no sauce)
Flour for dusting work surface
Cheeses Mentioned
Royaal by Beemster, Aged 4 Months
PDO North Holland Gouda. World Cheese Championship Contest Gold and World Top 20 Cheese winner. Aged 4 months. Smooth, creamy and dense texture. Mild, yet complex with notes of sweet almonds and farm-fresh cream.
Pairs with:
Farmers' Choice
The most consumed cheese in the Netherlands! It’s a perfect introduction to Gouda-style cheeses for the newbie.