Cheese Bread

If you are looking for a homey bread to serve with soup or salad on chilly night then try this recipe!  My Mom used to make it on occasion- thank God because we all would of been 200 pounds if she made it often!  The original recipe she passed on to me had 2 pounds of cheese inside.  I love cheese but that's a little ridiculous.  It has a very tender crumb and gets a beautiful golden crust.  It's great for entertaining because of the presence it makes on the table as you cut it to reveal the warm, soft cheesy interior.  As stated in the ingredient list, you can make additions to the cheese mixture and substitute cheeses as well.  Just make sure you are using soft, melting cheeses.  A good muenster, monterey jack, cheddar, gruyere, or possibly some brie all possibilities, and then some.  Just don't use a cheese that is made with oil rather than milk; they tend to be lower quality and greasy.  This recipe is definitely a moral booster for people who have little to none experience making breads.  There is little rising time, but it does bake about an hour, so just plan accordingly.  IF there are any leftovers, I suggests re-heating it in the oven rather than microwaving it. 

Mom’s Cheese Bread

Makes 8 main dish servings and 16 snack servings

3 ½ t sugar
2 t salt
2 packages active dry yeast ( 4 ½ t)
about 3 ½ cups bread flour or more if using ap flour
½ butter
1 cup milk (2% or skim)
2 eggs
1.5 lbs muenster or similar cheese, shredded (could blend cheeses as well, just beware of poor quality, greasy cheeses, yuck!)
1 T of fresh or dried herbs, peppers, or sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
2 t sliced blanched almonds or fresh rosemary for garnish (optional)

1.   In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, yeast,  1 cup of flour.  In a 1 quart sauce pan over low heat, heat butter and milk until very warm (120-15) butter does not need to melt completely, you are scalding the milk (this happens when the tiny bubbles appear around the edge of the milk.  Cool to a temp around 110 degrees.

2.  With a mixer at low speed, dough hook attached, gradually blend the liquid into the dry ingredients; beat until just mixed.  Increase the speed to medium, beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the bowl with a spatula.  Beat in 1 cup flour or enough to make a thick batter; continue beating 2 minutes.  The batter should be thick enough that you hear a slapping sound in the bowl.  With a wooden spoon, stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.  (Sometimes I bypass the use of the mixer if I am looking for an arm workout, you can too)

3.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Add more flour while kneading, if necessary.  You know your dough is ready to go if you press your thumb into the dough and it bounces back.  Shape the dough into a ball; cover with a bowl and let rest 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, reserve 1 egg white.  In a large bowl, thoroughly combine remaining eggs with cheese, set aside.  Grease a 9-inch cake pan.

4.  On a lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 24x6 inch rectangle.  Lengthwise along the center of the dough, shape  the cheese mixture into a cylinder.  Fold the sides of dough over the cheese filling, making about a 1-11/2 inch overlap; pinch seam to seal.  Place roll, seam side down, in the pan to make a ring, overlapping the ends slightly, pinch ends together to seal.  Cover with a towel, let rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375.  Brush loaf with reserved egg white.  Garnish top of bread with almond/herbs (optional).  Bake for 50-60 minutes depending on your oven, until golden and the bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped with fingers.  Remove bread from pan immediately, let stand 15 minutes for easier cutting.  To serve, cut bread into wedges.