Cheese Bread

Photo of sliced Cheese Bread on a cutting boardKneady and Cheesy
With the weather getting somewhat cooler recently, I have been more inclined to turn on my oven. I made some granola over the weekend. It disappeared rapidly—mainly because I sent most of it to my kids who are living in dorms. The rest was inhaled by my husband who has no self-control. That activity, plus the scent of pumpkin spice floating in the afternoon breeze, has me wanting to do a little more baking.

Since the number of people in my household has decreased by two, I have to be more discerning when it comes to the recipes I choose to make. I no longer have teenage boys to finish off 3 dozen cookies overnight. Add to that the fact, that my husband is trying to lose a few pounds (the granola incident notwithstanding). If I want to bake, I have figured it’s better to go savory than sweet to give him a fighting chance.

My daughter has a cheddar biscuit recipe that she likes to use to make tasty ham and cheddar biscuit sandwiches. They are really good but I can’t eat biscuits for lunch every day. Not to mention biscuits go stale pretty quickly. This cheese bread is a great alternative and will be my plan for baking this weekend. Though, I might whip up a secret batch of chocolate chip cookies too because it’s always nice to have a cookie with your sandwich at lunch…

Cheese Bread Recipe
Adapted from King Arthur Baking Company
Yields 1 loaf

We incorporate three different types of cheese (cheddar, cottage, and Parmasean) to make this loaf that is great for toasting and sandwiches. If you wish, you can also divide it into 12 pieces and make dinner rolls.

Ingredients
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions
Measure the flour
Measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup. And, then using the flat back of a knife, scraping it off level with the top of the measuring cup.

Knead the dough
Mix all of the ingredients together and knead the bread (either manually, with your stand mixer with the bread attachment, or with your bread machine on the dough cycle. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic.

First rising
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean, damp dish cloth, and allow it to rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes).

Second rising
Press on the surface to deflate the dough, and form it into a 9-inch log. Place the dough in a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover the loaf loosely with greased plastic and allow it to rise until the bread domes an inch above the rim of the pan (about 60 minutes). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread
Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it’s golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 190°F. It should sound hollow when tapped.

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