• 750 ml whole-wheat flour
•  375 ml cake flour
•  30 ml baking powder
•  ½ tsp salt
•  30 ml chopped fresh parsley
•  15 ml fresh thyme leaves
•  125 ml coarsely grated cheddar cheese
•  2 eggs, beaten
•  500 ml plain low-fat yoghurt
•  60 ml low-fat milk, plus 2 tsp (10 ml) for brushing
•  125 ml sunflower oil
•  2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)
•  Pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika to taste

Serving size: 6
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 mins

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C. Line and lightly grease a baking tray and dust with a little extra cake flour.
2. Mix flours, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Stir half the herbs and half the cheese into the dry flour mixture.
4. Beat eggs, yoghurt, milk and oil together in a separate bowl and add garlic, if using.
5. Stir egg mixture into the flour with the back of a knife, ‘cutting’ the liquid into the dry ingredients until it just forms a dough.
6. Gently form dough into 18 - 20 balls but take care not to handle the dough too much. (dust your hands with extra flour if the dough is difficult to handle.)
7. Pack balls close together in a circle, but without touching each other, on the baking tray. Start with one ball in the middle of the baking tray and then pack a circle with another 5 or 6 balls around the middle one. Repeat with the remaining balls to form a second circle.
8. Brush dough with milk. Mix remaining herbs and cheese with cayenne pepper or paprika and sprinkle on top of dough.
9. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and baked through.
10. Serve warm as the starch for a meal or as a starter.

Tips

1. Place dough balls in a lightly oiled flat-based cast iron pot and bake as above over medium coals. Place a few small coals on the lid to have even heat distribution from all sides.
2. The dough balls can also be packed in a lightly greased oven dish, before baking.
3. For a smaller group, the recipe can be halved successfully to make a smaller bread.

Recipe by Pharma Dynamics
Cooking from the heart