An English Spring & Fresh Herb Loaf

The week in England was pleasantly warm, sunny and green. We started the week with a visit to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. The drive from Manchester to the house, belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, wound through really pretty little villages like Matlock and followed a scenic route along the Pennines. The house is being renovated and perhaps fewer rooms were open for viewing but it was a really warm, sunny day and the gardens were beautiful. Many visitors spent the day picnicking on the lawns.

Everywhere we went the blossoms, daffodils and tulips were flowering. A feast for the eye. The Britain in Bloom competition also ensures that there are blooms in every available outdoor space, including the shopping malls. My cousin, Nilda, and I explored some of the endless hiking trails along the canals and the Wheelock Rail Trail in Cheshire, enjoying the green rural landscape while talking for hours on end.

Wednesday I met up with my friend, Hannah, in Stratford-upon-Avon. Unfortunately the town was in the midst of renovations. A disaster considering that they were going to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday the very next day. I believe the Stratford Council is probably the least popular organisation in that country right now. We spent most of the day hiking in the countryside.

The week ended with the trip to Llandudno on the Welsh coast. It was too misty to see much out to the ocean or have a look at Anglesey or snap many pictures. So instead we toured the site where one of Europe’s biggest Bronze Age Mines is situated. The tunnels were very narrow and steep and apparently children as young as 5 or 6 years old were working there digging out the malachite that would result in copper for axheads. Afterwards we walked along the promenade and along the pier. It is a really nice seaside town. I can imagine myself staying there for a few nights more in the future and doing long walks along the beach.

It was a bit of a shock to return to a still bare and brown Finnish landscape. To prolong the feel of spring and green landscape I decided to bake a Herb Swirl for the May Day long weekend.

Herb Swirl

750 ml Bread flour
500 ml Graham flour or wholemeal flour or Nutty Wheat flour
125 ml Bran flakes
30 ml Raw sugar
15 ml Sea salt
10 grams or 15 ml dry yeast
500 ml Milk – lukewarm
125 ml Water – lukewarm
For the Herb filling:
125 ml Basil leaves, chopped
125 ml Origanum, chopped
125 ml Parsley, chopped
75-100 ml Chives, chopped
1 medium Potato, peeled, cooked and finely chopped
75 ml Pine nuts – toasted or Sunflower seeds (optional)
100 ml Olive oil
125 ml Parmesan cheese – finely grated (optional)
2 Garlic cloves, crushed

• Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water until frothy.
• Put the flours, bran, sugar, salt in a bowl.
• Add the yeast mix and lukewarm milk and mix. Adjust the flour to make a dough that is not too soft but can be rolled out later. Knead the dough for a few minutes till smooth.
• Let the dough rise for an hour.
• Prepare a breadpan that is 32 x 10 cm.
• Mix all the ingredients for the herb filling well or mix in a food processor for a finer paste.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and roll out to 30 x 35cm.
• Spread the filling onto the dough leaving an inch on the shorter sides.
• Roll up the dough like a swiss roll and put it into the breadpan with the seam down.
• Preheat the oven to 180 C
• Paint the top of the loaf with egg wash.
• Bake for approximately 50 minutes. (After 30 minutes I turned the oven down to 160 C to avoid it burning.
• Check to see that the top does not get too dark and cover with foil if necessary.
• Serve as is or with cold meat and fresh salads.