Tear-and-Share Bread with Cheese, Chives, and Ham

• whole milk↗170ml ml
• sugar↗1 tsp tsp
• unsalted butter↗100g g

  cut into cubes

• sea salt↗1½ tsp fine tsp

  fine

• English mustard powder↗3 tsp tsp
• strong white bread flour↗500g g
• instant dry yeast↗1 x 7g sachet

  1 sachet (7 g)

• medium eggs↗4

  lightly beaten, plus 1 for glaze

• butter↗

  for proofing

• mature cheddar↗250g g

  grated

• parmesan↗50g g

  grated

• chives½ bunch of

  finely chopped

• smoked ham↗150g g

  coarsely sliced

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Pour milk into a saucepan and add sugar and butter. Gently heat, stirring the pan, until the butter melts. Set aside to reach room temperature.

2. 2

   Sift salt, mustard powder, flour and yeast into a large bowl and mix. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the beaten eggs and milk mixture. Quickly stir with a wooden spoon to form a rough dough, then turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10‑15 minutes until elastic and springy. Optionally knead in a mixer with a hook for 7‑10 minutes. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1½‑2 hours until doubled.

3. 3

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently pat and briefly fold. Sprinkle half the cheese, all the chives and all the ham. Knead until ham and cheese are evenly distributed. Divide the dough into 18 equal balls. Pinch the bottoms to form uniform round balls. Line a baking tray with parchment and draw a 25 cm circle (a large plate works). Arrange the dough balls in concentric circles within the drawn circle. Add a little more cheese into each gap. Lightly cover. Let rise for 1‑1½ hours until risen.

4. 4

   Preheat oven to 200 °C/180 °C convection/gas 6. Beat the remaining egg and lightly brush the dough balls with it. Sprinkle most of the remaining cheese, then bake for 25 minutes. Then sprinkle the rest of the cheese and bake another 5 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving warm.