Ingredients

• 595g high grade bread flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 540ml lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 40ml olive oil
• 100g Mainland Smoky Cheddar, grated 

Topping 

• 100g Mainland Smoky Cheddar, grated 
• 2 tablespoons dried horopito (or substitute with 1 tablespoon dried parsley and 1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes, mixed)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 

Method

1. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a jug. Mix to incorporate and leave for 5 minutes for the yeast to wake up. 
2. After 5 minutes, mix it again and then add to the flour along with the olive oil. Using a spatula, mix until the flour and water start to incorporate. Sprinkle in the grated cheese and mix until fully combined. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 5 minutes.
3. Lightly oil your hands or use a spatula to perform a series of stretches and folds with the dough. This is when you take a section of dough, stretch it up and fold it onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the process a few times. Then leave the dough to rest another 5 minutes before repeating another few stretches and folds. 
4. Drizzle the dough with a little olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and leave it to prove. You can either do this overnight to develop more flavour or leave it at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size.  
5. Once your dough has proved, tip it out of the bowl and onto the greased baking tray. Drizzle a little oil on your fingers then gently work and stretch the dough to the outer edges of the tray, then cover it with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot to prove until risen and doubled in size. 
6. Preheat your oven to 230°C bake.
7. Combine the horopito and olive oil in a bowl, then drizzle this all over the surface of the risen dough. Oil your fingers and dimple the dough gently all over, then sprinkle over the grated Mainland Smoky Cheddar and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and risen. 
8. Remove the loaf from the oven and turn out onto a rack to cool slightly before serving warm with lashings of butter. 
9. Note: Horopito is a native New Zealand herb, also known as ‘bush pepper’. The leaves are dried and ground for use in cooking. Horopito is available in gourmet food stores and some supermarkets and adds a distinctive spicy heat to dishes.