garlicky party bread with cheese and herbs
My mother’s standard party donation is a boule of pumpernickel bread with the center scooped out and filled with a spinach dip that includes water chestnuts because, of course. The sides are cut into fingers that remain attached at the base (as “severed fingers” would be unsettling, yes?) and can be torn off when the urge comes to swipe one through the center. The urge will come often, so I try to position myself in any room that the boule is not. Nevertheless, I hadn’t considered that there were other approaches to party bread until I came upon this , the belly full of dip forwent for a multi-pronged attacked of butter, cheese, scallions and poppy seeds, all toasted until melted and crisp.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 12 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sourdough | 1 slice (36g) | 93 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Rosemary | 1 tsp dried (1.2g) | 4 |
| Chive | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 1 round (about 1 pound) loaf firm sourdough bread
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) salted or unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse or flaky salt, or 1/4 teaspoon table salt (if butter is unsalted)
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch or two of red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup finely grated cheese (I used a mix of 2/3 firm aged cheeses — pecorino and asiago — and 1/3 fontina for meltiness)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh herbs (I used 1/2 each rosemary and oregano; use more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon extra fresh herbs (such as chives or parsley) to finish (optional)