Cream cheese, chilli & onion bagel loaf
MAKES 1 loaf
There are some fabulous seasonings in this tear-and-share loaf: pickled green chillies add bite; chives give a subtle hint of onion; and the mixture of sweeter white and nuttier black sesame seeds perfectly complements the smooth, sharp cream cheese.
For the dough
250g (9oz) strong white bread flour 100g (3½oz) plain flour 7g fast-action dried yeast 1tsp caster sugar 1tsp salt 175ml (6fl oz) whole milk 50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus 1tbsp melted, to glaze 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten 2tsp olive oil, for greasing
For the filling
250g (9oz) full-fat cream cheese 6 spring onions, finely sliced 3 pickled green chillies, drained and finely chopped 2tbsp snipped chives Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
1tbsp mixed black and white sesame seeds 1tsp onion granules 1tsp garlic granules 1tsp poppy seeds 1tsp sea-salt flakes 1 Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking paper.
2 For the dough, mix both types of flour with the yeast, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until combined.
3 Heat the milk to lukewarm and pour it into the dry ingredients with the 50g (1¾oz) softened butter and the egg. Mix on low to combine, then knead on medium for 4-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Tip out the dough onto the work surface and shape it into a ball. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough, cover it with a damp tea towel and leave it to rise for 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size.
4 Prepare the filling. While the dough is rising, tip the cream cheese into a mixing bowl and add the spring onions, pickled chillies and chives.
Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
5 Shape and fill the dough. Lightly flour the work surface and knead the dough gently for 20 seconds to knock it back. Weigh the dough and divide it into 12 equal balls. Roll each ball into a neat 12cm (5in) disc.
6 Spread one tablespoon of the filling onto each disc and fold the discs in half to make 12 half-moon-shaped dough sandwiches. Spread the remaining filling on top of 11 of the dough sandwiches, then stack them into pairs – one stack will not have cream cheese on the top.
Place a pair of dough sandwiches into one end of the lined loaf tin, cheese-side inwards and rounded-side uppermost. Continue stacking to fill the length of the tin, ending with the dough without the cream cheese on top. Slide the tin into the oiled proving bag and leave the loaf to prove at room temperature for 45 minutes, until light and puffy and risen by at least one third.
7 For the topping, in a small bowl, c
