Lunch Inspiration: Bread From The Local Italian Market

I am lucky enough to live in a town that hosts a handful of different markets; these range from local excellence weekends to Italian ones. Today I swung by to the Italian market - just in time! There were two loaves of bread left so I picked up a honey and walnut loaf and decided to use it at lunchtime.

The combination of flavours sounded interesting, and the loaf itself certainly looked more appealing than a bog-standard loaf of Hovis or Warburtons. OK so it did cost a little more (£3. 30) but it's the weekend so therefore it's allowed.

Bread purchased from local Italian market

The loaf was fairly dense inside so I decided to use it as a base for my take on a pizza - all done within a 10 minute time frame. I turned the grill on and let it heat up whilst I cut the bread into thick slices.

Slicing the fresh loaf of bread

Once cut, I squeezed on a bit of tomato purée (thanks to my colleague Sam for her tip off about using up leftover purée). I then added some sliced sausage meat (plain, garlic and spicy) before topping with thinly grated cheese.

Adding the "pizza" toppings

When all the toppings were on, I put the slices under the grill for a few minutes (on a high heat) before taking out and lightly drizzling with olive oil.

The finished result

In terms of taste, the unique flavour of the bread certainly came through (my fiancé simply described it as "yum"), and it worked well with the other Italian inspired ingredients.

I'd love for you to see what local food events are happening in your area, as they can certainly inspire you more than a regular shop in the supermarket! You can guarantee that I'll be visiting a few more during the spring and summer...