Persian New Year is celebrated on the 21st of March which coincides with the start of spring in Iran. It’s a lovely time to visit as the weather is mild and the parks are overflowing with flowers. Traditionally, Nowruz (Persian New Year) is a 13 day celebration that concludes with a picnic in the park. In my husband’s family, one of the picnic items that’s prepared is this Olive Oil and Cheese Bread. It is baked on the day, then wrapped in a large tea towel to keep it warm( still in the baking tin) and then enjoyed on the picnic with either butter, or a dab of Cream Cheese. And cups after cups of tea.
This recipe of Olive Oil and Cheese Bread is from my Persian sister in law Mahin, who lives in the city of Mashhad .I have changed the recipe slightly to suit the availability of ingredients. I prefer to bake this in a Bundt tin, instead of a loaf pan for a festive touch. Don’t stress if you don’t have a Bundt pan, as this also make great muffins-just adjust the baking time to about 15 minutes.
As with a lot of celebration foods, there’s symbolism in this Olive Oil and Cheese Bread. Coated with sesame and nigella seeds which signifies new life and continuity, then loaded with herbs to signify the coming of spring and the New Year!
What you need to make Olive Oil and Cheese Bread
- Fridge/Pantry Items – Sesame and/Nigella Seeds,Self Raising Flour,chopped mixed herbs (dried or fresh), Chilli Flakes(optional), Eggs, Olive Oil and Greek Yoghurt.
- Cheeses to Use – You can use any cheese combination you want. I love Halloumi and crumbled feta, so that’s what I use.
- A loaf pan or a 22cm diameter Bundt Cake tin, as I have used for the photo.
Easy does it..
- Preheat oven to 180° fan forced. Spray the pan generously with cooking oil and sprinkle with sesame and/or nigella seeds to coat. Reserve about a teaspoon to sprinkle on the top.
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients including chilli flakes if using, then make a well in the centre of the flour. Add eggs, oil and yoghurt to the well and use a spatula or a wooden spoon to mix it through just until combined.
- Transfer batter to the prepared tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with extra seeds. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.Cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, then in mould to a serving plate.
If you want more info regarding Persian New Year, here’s a short read Celebrating Nowruz,Persian New Year. And please let me know, if you have any questions via the comments section below. I would love to hear from you.
Olive Oil and Cheese Bread
10
servings15
minutes45
minutesHerby Bread with Cheese
Ingredients
1/4 cup sesame and/or nigella seeds,reserve some for topping
2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/4 cup dried Mixed Herbs or a handful of finely chopped fresh herbs of your choice
200g Haloumi Cheese,grated
150g Feta Cheese,crumbled
4 Eggs, lightly whisked
1 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Greek Yoghurt
pinch of salt and pepper
pinch of Chilli Flakes
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a loaf pan or a 22cm diameter Bundt tin generously with cooking oil. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds/nigella seeds making sure to cover the base and sides of the tin.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together, flour, salt and pepper, cheeses,chilli flakes if using and the herbs until combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour, then add eggs oil and yoghurt to the well. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to fold the liquid and dry ingredients together to form a wet batter. Do not over mix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin, then smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with extra sesame/nigella seeds, then bake for 40 -45 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside in the tin for 30 minutes, then un mould to a serving plate and slice to serve. Serve with butter or cream cheese.
- Reheat leftovers in a microwave for a few seconds . Store in a covered container.
Notes
- Can also be made as muffins, just reduce the baking time accordingly about 15 minutes.
