Goat Cheese, Apple and Beets Breakfast Bread

The following special bread came to mind when I was planning to bake a variation of Soda Bread.

Here again, I wanted to experiment with different types of flour, so I’ve decided to use dark rye and spelt flour, instead of wheat flour. Then I thought that the bread could benefit from some different types of goat cheeses that I had in the fridge, so they’ve found their way in. After that it seemed logical to add something that will balance the cheeses’ flavor, so I added some cooked beets and diced apple into the batter, and some chopped precooked bacon on top.

This seemingly strange mixture ended up as one of the tastiest breads I’ve made. It is perfect for breakfast or brunch, and is actually a whole meal in itself. Serve with a bit of butter on the side, and enjoy this fragrant and tasty bread.

Makes: 12
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
For the pan:
1 Tbs oil
1 Tbs flour
For the bread:
1 cup dark whole rye flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk (or 2 Tbs yogurt mixed in 1 cup warm milk)
8 oz (230 grams) fresh garlic and herbs goat cheese, crumbled
1 L egg
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup small diced peeled tart apple (from 1 medium)
½ cup medium diced cooked beets (or frozen, thawed)
4 oz (115 grams) blue goat cheese, crumbled
For topping:
4-5 strips precooked bacon, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 360F (180C). Brush a 10”x2” (25x5cm) loaf pan with oil and sprinkle the flour on it. Keep in the fridge until using.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the rye and spelt flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Add the buttermilk, fresh goat cheese, egg and olive oil and mix to a fairly thick batter.

3. Add the diced apple, beets and blue goat cheese. Mix briefly with a spatula and transfer to the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top, if using.

4. Bake for 1 hour, until the loaf is golden brown. Keep in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a rack to cool to room temperature.