Categories: June

Ingredients

• 150g yellow cornmeal or polenta (not instant polenta)
• 100g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 15g fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1-2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
• 40g freshly grated Parmesan
• 250ml buttermilk (or an equal mixture of sour cream and skimmed milk)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 100-130g goat's cheese, diced or crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220˚C/fan 200˚C/gas 7. Grease a loaf tin 22 × 11 × 7cm deep (or line with nonstick paper).

2. Mix together the cornmeal or polenta, flour, salt, a good grinding of black pepper, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Add the chopped basil, chilli and Parmesan. Mix. Beat together the buttermilk (or sour cream and milk), egg and olive oil. Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients quickly and briefly. Do not overmix, but make sure that everything is thoroughly blended. Stir in the goat’s cheese.

3. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes until the bread is risen, golden and a skewer comes out clean (turn the heat down a notch after 30 minutes if the top starts to brown too much).

4. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and leave to cool on a wire rack.

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