The Cheese Trolley: Homemade Walnut & Honey Bread with Spiced Quince Paste

⏱ 180 min · Serves 8

The grand finale of any proper dinner party, made entirely at home. A dark, treacly walnut loaf still warm from the oven, a slab of glossy ruby quince paste you cooked down yourself, and four well-chosen cheeses at perfect room temperature. Roll it out with a bottle of something sweet and watch the table go quiet.

Per serving: 720 kcal · 26.0g protein · 72.0g carbs · 37.0g fat

Ingredients

• FOR THE QUINCE PASTE (membrillo):
• 1 kg quinces (about 3 large), rubbed clean
• 1 lemon, juiced, plus the spent halves
• 800 g granulated sugar (approx — see method)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• FOR THE WALNUT & HONEY BREAD:
• 350 g strong white bread flour
• 150 g dark rye flour
• 7 g fast-action dried yeast
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 30 g runny honey
• 330 ml warm water
• 20 g unsalted butter, softened
• 150 g walnut halves, roughly broken
• Semolina or extra flour, for dusting
• FOR THE TROLLEY:
• 150 g mature farmhouse Cheddar (e.g. Montgomery's)
• 150 g ripe Brie de Meaux or Tunworth
• 150 g Comté or Ossau-Iraty, aged 12 months
• 120 g Stilton or Roquefort
• 1 small bunch seedless grapes
• 2 ripe pears or crisp apples, sliced at the last minute
• 50 g toasted walnuts, celery sticks and oatcakes, to serve
• Unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method

1. Make the quince paste first (it can be done days ahead). Chop the unpeeled, uncored quinces into rough chunks and put in a large pan with the lemon juice, spent lemon halves, cinnamon, star anise and enough water to just cover. Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes until completely soft.
2. Drain (save a little of the fragrant liquid), discard the spices and lemon, then push the fruit through a mouli or coarse sieve into a clean pan — discard the skins and pips. Weigh the purée.
3. Add sugar equal to 75% of the purée weight. Cook over a low heat, stirring often with a long-handled spoon, for 60–75 minutes. It will turn from pale yellow to deep amber-ruby and thicken until a spoon drawn through leaves a clear trail. Beware — it spits.
4. Scrape into a baking-paper-lined 20cm square tin or small loaf tin, smooth the top and leave to set at room temperature for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. It will firm to a sliceable paste.
5. Now the bread. Combine both flours, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Mix the honey into the warm water, pour in and bring together to a shaggy dough. Rest 10 minutes, then knead in the softened butter for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
6. Flatten the dough, scatter over the walnuts and fold and knead briefly to distribute. Cover and prove for 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
7. Knock back, shape into a tight round or oval, and set on a semolina-dusted tray. Cover loosely and prove 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan with a roasting tin of water on the bottom shelf.
8. Slash the top of the loaf twice, dust with rye flour and bake for 30–35 minutes until deeply browned and hollow-sounding underneath. Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes.
9. Take all the cheese out of the fridge a full hour before serving — cold cheese is dead cheese. Unwrap and let it breathe on a board or slate.
10. Arrange the board with space between each cheese, going clockwise from mildest (Brie) to strongest (Stilton), with a separate knife for the blue. Turn out the quince paste and cut into neat wedges or a slab.
11. Serve with thick slices of the walnut bread, soft butter, oatcakes, grapes, freshly sliced pear, celery and toasted walnuts. Pour the port.