UntrainedChef
Cheese and Ham Twists - baking, bread recipe

Cheese and Ham Twists

2 hr
2 portions

Crispy on the outside, soft inside, and packed with melted cheese and ham. Made with a no-knead dough — perfect alongside soup, in a lunchbox, or just as a snack.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Mix together the flour, salt, yeast, and water until you get a sticky dough — it's supposed to be loose, that's fine. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature overnight, about 12 to 14 hours. If you want to wait longer before baking, pop it in the fridge after that — it'll rise more slowly and develop great flavour without over-proofing.

  2. 2

    For a slightly firmer dough with more air, do one round of folding before shaping. Wet your fingers a little, reach under the middle of the dough, pull it up and fold it forward. Turn the bowl and repeat on the other side. Cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

  3. 3

    Get the filling ready — grate the cheese and cut the ham into smaller pieces, like squares or strips.

  4. 4

    Tip the dough out onto a well-floured surface dusted with semolina. Spread the filling evenly over the dough and press it in lightly. Fold the dough in half lengthways, then cut into strips and twist them into spirals. The dough is sticky, so work quickly and twist as best you can — sprinkle a little extra semolina on top if it helps. They'll look a bit rustic, and that's exactly right.

  5. 5

    Place the twists on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the middle of the oven at 200 °C for about 30 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Per average serving

424
Calories
kcal
17.5
Protein
g
70.2
Carbs
g
7
Fat
g
2.8g
Fiber
1g
Sugar
628mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • The dough is meant to be wet and sticky. If you add more flour to make it easier to handle, you'll end up with denser twists. Trust the recipe and use the semolina on the surface instead.
  • After the overnight rise, the dough should have bubbles on top and look a bit puffy. If it smells slightly tangy, that's good. If it hasn't moved much, your kitchen was probably too cold. Give it another hour somewhere warmer.
  • Cut the ham into small pieces rather than thin slices. Big chunks tend to fall out when you twist the strips. Squares about the size of a fingernail work well.
  • They're done when the bottoms are golden and sound hollow if you tap them. Pale on top but golden underneath is fine. If they look pale all over after 30 minutes, give them 5 more minutes.

Ways to vary it

  • Swap the ham for crispy bacon bits or cooked chorizo if you want a smokier flavour. The quantities stay the same.
  • You can use a mix of cheeses. Something sharp like aged cheddar or a bit of parmesan mixed with a milder cheese gives you more depth than one cheese alone.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the ham and add finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes or olives instead. Keep the total filling amount roughly the same so the dough doesn't get overloaded.

Storage & leftovers

These keep well at room temperature for a day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. They freeze well too. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes and they crisp back up nicely.

What to serve with it

These go well alongside a bowl of tomato soup or a simple vegetable soup. They also work as part of a lunch spread with some sliced vegetables and a bit of hummus on the side.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 26 July 2026

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