Cheese Bread

There is one popular bread recipe that everyone should try and that is the cheese bread. In this recipe you have to add shredded cheese into the dough and bake it. The most popular choice of cheese that I have seen so far is the yellow cheddar, but I have used Gouda in my bread and that came out wonderful. Adding cheese to the bread dough gives the bread a beautiful sharp tang which can only be compared with a cheese toast. This cheese bread is perfect for a grilled cheese sandwich and also can be eaten as a simple toast with butter slathered on it. 

The cheese bread is a cross between the brioche and the milk bun. It is soft and mildly rich from the butter, but not sweet like the milk bun that we usually eat. A very close comparison with this cheese bread is a very soft and rich sandwich bread. I can't praise this cheese bread enough as this is such a hit in my family and I make it so often. If your everyday bread is simple and little bit on the lesser sweet side, then this cheese bread will become your absolute favourite like mine.

Notes on the ingredients used:

Flour: I have used all purpose flour with a little addition of whole wheat flour to increase the gluten. The addition of the whole wheat flour to the recipe of the cheese bread gives the cheese bread a deeper flavour and a stable build.

Yeast: I generally prefer using active dry Yeast over instant yeast for all my bread recipes.

Cheese : I used Gouda for making the cheese bread, as it a little milder than the cheddar cheese and has a strong and stable structure and texture compared to the other softer cheeses. I buy a 200gm block of the cheese and then grate it before using. I find the pre grated cheese a little on the drier side and there prefer block cheeses over them.

Butter : I have used unsalted butter for the recipe of the cheese bread. If you use salted butter then reduce the additional salt afterwards.

 Ingredients:

1. 120 ml full fat milk
2. 80 ml lukewarm water
3. 300gm all purpose flour
4. 100gm whole wheat flour
5. 2 tsp of active dry yeast
6. 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
7. 2 tsp salt
8. 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
9. 1 large egg
10. 200gm of shredded Gouda cheese

Method:

1. In a saucepan bring together the milk, butter, sugar and water.
2. Place it on a low flame and wait until the butter and sugar has melted.
3. Stir to bring everything together and let it come to a lukewarm temperature or until it is cold enough to dip your finger in it.
4. Mix in your yeast and wait for 15 minutes allowing it to bloom.
5. Take all the flour in a large bowl and mix the salt.
6. Pour the yeast mixture in it.
7. Add the egg.
8. Mix them until it becomes a rather wet dough and then place it on a flat smooth surface to knead. In the beginning the dough should be very wet and sticky. But as you knead you will see the dough coming together slowly and having a smooth finish. Knead with the back of your palm, stretching it and flapping it repeatedly until the dough starts to pull out from the surface and has turned into a smooth ball of dough. This might take anywhere between 15-20 minutes of kneading, but this kneading is worth it, because it will give the dough the much needed structure and stability.
9. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a cling film. Leave the bowl in the warmest corner of the room and let it rise for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
10. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly dusted flat surface to roll.
11. With the help of a rolling pin spread the dough into a square shape, where the length and width or the square should be similar to the length of your loaf pan.
12. Sprinkle all the grated cheese on the dough and then gently roll it pinching the end edges of the dough to give it a smooth finish.
13. Gently lift the dough and transfer to your lined loaf pan.
14. Cover the dough again with a moist kitchen towel and leave it again to rise for another hour or until the loaf has become puffy and has doubles in size.
15. Preheat your oven 350F.
16. Bake in a preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the loaf has become golden and crispy on the outside.
17. Once done take the pan out of the oven and let it sit at the kitchen counter for 10 minutes.
18. Then gently take the bread out of the pan and let it cool down on a wired rack until it has come to room temperature.
19. Cool it completely before slicing.