My mother-in-law turned up today, her arms carrying an enormous, well seasoned cast iron baking tray which was laden with a still-warm, home cooked cheese bread. This is one of her specialities, expertly kneaded with her strong yet nimble hands, then rolled, stuffed and arranged in the most eye-catching pattern. It is something one would see in the window of a traditionally skilled baker’s store or patisserie. We know this dish as Sunflower Bread, because of the petal like pattern formed by each little piece of dough, snugly sitting in a circular fashion, rising and turning golden brown in unison while baking. 

The dough is filled with a combination of feta and ricotta cheeses and before being rolled into shape, has liberal amounts of unsalted butter grated over each layer. The process of preparing the dough and then rolling it all up is similar to that involved in making croissants. However unlike this French classic which has a buttery flakiness, my mother-in-law’s Sunflower Bread is moreishly dense with a subtle cheese flavour, satisfyingly soft interior and crisp outer layer. 

I have not included the recipe for this dish because it really required a hands-on lesson with my mother-in-law. It is one of those dishes that is best explained and mastered as it is being made. So I will leave you to look at the photo, which you will notice has a piece missing. Let’s just say it is difficult to keep so many sets of hands, belonging to so many enthusiastic eaters – who are still on school holidays – away from a dish that looks and tastes this terrific!