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Leek and Manchego bread

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Serves 8
Cooking Time Prep time 30 mins, cook 1 hr (plus cooling, proving)
1   small sebago potato (about 200gm), cut into dice
5 gm   (1¾ tsp) dried yeast
230 gm   bread flour
1½ tbsp   extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 tbsp   thyme, plus extra for scattering
20 gm   butter, coarsely chopped
1   garlic clove, finely chopped
2   leeks, halved lengthwise and rinsed, cut into 12cm lengths
40 gm   Manchego, coarsely grated


1 Combine potato in a saucepan with enough cold salted water to cover generously, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender (8-10 minutes). Drain well, then mash and set aside to cool.
2 Combine yeast and 60ml lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until foamy (10-15 minutes). Add potato, flour, olive oil, two-thirds of the thyme and 1½ tsp sea salt, mix to just combine, then change to a dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic (3-4 minutes, adding a little extra water if necessary to form a soft dough). Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (30-45 minutes).
3 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in garlic and remaining thyme, season to taste and cook gently until fragrant (1 minute). Set aside.
4 Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface and knock back. Roll out to a rough 15cm x 35cm rectangle and transfer to a large oven tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil, scatter with Manchego and arrange leeks cut-side up on top, pressing into dough. Drizzle with butter mixure, scatter with extra thyme, season generously to taste and stand until it has risen slightly (10-15 minutes). Bake until golden and cooked through (25-30 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is from the May 2013 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Drink Suggestion Pale dry grenache rosé.

RECIPE Emma Knowles & Alice Storey PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Dearnley STYLING Claire Delmar, Emma Knowles & Alice Storey DRINK SUGGESTION Max Allen


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