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.