Beemster Braided Cheesy Bread with Spinach and Garlic

Type: appetizer, snack, side
Prep Time: 20 min. + 30 min. resting time
Cook Time: 60 min.
Ready in: 2 hours
Makes: 1 loaf

A twisty, cheesy bread, great for entertaining or serving alongside pasta.

Directions

  1. Grease a 9” loaf pan. Set aside.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a wok or frying pan and sauté the garlic for 1 min over medium-high heat. Add the spinach in sections and cook until wilted. Set a colander over a bowl. Drain in colander and cool for 5 min. Using the back of a spoon, squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as possible. Reserve water.

  3. Place the spinach and garlic mixture, and parsley in the tall blending cup of an immersion blender or a food processor. Purée until smooth. Add drained water as needed to aid blending. Season to taste with pepper.

  4. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough into an approximate 10” x 15” rectangle. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the dough, keeping 1” (3 cm) away from the edges. Top evenly with grated Beemster.

  5. Roll up the dough from the long side. If dough is sticking, lightly dust work surface with flour.  Cut the roll in half lengthwise with a sharp knife, so that you have two long halves and the inside layers facing up. From the top, twist the strips of dough over and under each other to form a "braid”. At each end, pinch the two halves together.

  6. Carefully place the braided bread in the greased pan, layers facing up and tucking the ends under. Cover with a kitchen towel and rest 30 minutes while oven preheats.

  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

  8. Bake in the center of the oven. Rotate after 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil. Continue baking until done, about another 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 5 oz (142 g) spinach, washed and dried

  • 1 ½ C (180 g) Beemster Cheese, grated (Mild, Farmers’ Choice, Vlaskaas, Royaal 4-month, Signature 12-month)

  • ¼ C (15 g) fresh flat (Italian) parsley

  • 16 oz (453g) fresh pizza dough (refrigerated, no sauce)

  • Flour for dusting work surface

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Cheeses Mentioned

Royaal by Beemster, Aged 4 Months

PDO North Holland Gouda. World Cheese Championship Contest Gold and World Top 20 Cheese winner. Aged 4 months. Smooth, creamy and dense texture. Mild, yet complex with notes of sweet almonds and farm-fresh cream.

Pairs with:

Light bodied reds, such as Beaujolais, Pinot Noir. Delicate white wines like Pinot Gris, dry Riesling, Chablis. Crisp beers, such as Pilsner and blonde ales. Grapes, apples, strawberries. Dried cherries, apricots, figs, ginger. Ham, salami. Excellent in egg dishes, on sandwiches (especially grilled cheese!) and in gratins.
More info

Farmers' Choice

The most consumed cheese in the Netherlands! It’s a perfect introduction to Gouda-style cheeses for the newbie.

Pairs with:

Red or white wine. Mild meats, like turkey, to stronger sandwich pairings, like soppressata.
More info

Signature

Hand selected by our master cheesemaker as an exceptional representation of Beemster's craft. 

Pairs with:

Red wine. Fruit.
More info