By making one big loaf - smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber picnic loaf - instead of lots of fiddly sandwiches saves you time and looks impressive. Cholla is an egg enriched, plaited bread that is usually covered with poppy or sesame seeds – you can buy it from supermarkets. If you can’t find it, use a small bloomer with a soft crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cholla loaf
- 200g pack reduced-fat cream cheese
- 250g oak-smoked salmon slices
- 6 sprigs fresh dill
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
Method
- 1. Cut the cholla loaf in half through the middle. Spread cream cheese over both halves, then top the bottom half with the smoked salmon, dill and cucumber. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper, then sandwich with the top half of the loaf.
- 2. Tie with string (or wrap in cling film) and wrap in baking paper. Pop the bread in a basket on top of an ice pack wrapped in a napkin (or use a coolbox), so you can carry it safely to your picnic.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 283kcals, 8.2g fat (3.8g saturated), 20.4g protein, 34.2g carbs, 3.1g sugar, 3.1g salt
Chef's tip
Don’t forget to take a knife to cut the loaf on your picnic. Parma ham, honeyroast ham and salami also make good bedfellows with the cucumber and cheese. You can make this the day before and keep it covered in the fridge – bring back to room temperature before serving.