Crusty Cheese Bread Recipes

CRUSTY CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder and cayenne. Spread over cut sides of bread; sprinkle with cheese. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. , Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into slices.

CRUSTY HOMEMADE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Using a rubber spatula, stir in 3-1/2 cups flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise at room temperature 1 hour., Stir down dough (dough will be sticky). Turn onto a floured surface; with floured hands pat into a 9-in. square. Fold square into thirds, forming a 9x3-in. rectangle. Fold rectangle into thirds, forming a 3-in. square. Place in a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough and repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl; refrigerate, covered, overnight., Grease the bottom of a disposable foil roasting pan with sides at least 4 in. high; dust pan with cornmeal. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead gently 6-8 times; shape into a 6-in. round loaf. Place into prepared pan; dust top with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Cover pan and let rise at room temperature until dough expands to a 7-1/2-in. loaf, about 1-1/4 hours. , Preheat oven to 500°. Using a sharp knife, make a slash (1/4 in. deep) across top of loaf. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake on lowest oven rack 25 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 450°. Remove foil; bake bread until deep golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove loaf to a wire rack to cool.

HOMEMADE CHEESE BREAD - EXTRA SOFT

Steps:

• Whisk the warm buttermilk, warm water, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Add the butter, egg, salt, garlic powder, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
• Keep the dough in the mixer and beat on low speed for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. (See video tutorial above if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1.5-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
• Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
• Punch down the dough to release the air. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 9×15 inch rectangle (approximately). Sprinkle cheese all over the top, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered.
• Watch the video above to see exactly how I do this step. Tightly roll the dough into a 15-inch log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. I find a serrated knife works best. Criss-cross one half, cut side down, on top of the other half- forming an X. Tightly twist the two together. Pinch the outer edges to seal as best you can. If you have any leftover cheese, cut a few small squares and tuck into the dough as shown in the video above. This is optional and simply for extra cheesy pockets! Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. (This step can get a little messy.)
• Allow the covered loaf to rest for 30 minutes. It will slightly rise during this time.
• Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any cheese or butter that may drip down. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Whisk the melted butter, herbs, and garlic powder together. Drizzle or brush on top of dough.
• Bake until golden brown and, when gently tapped, the top of the loaf sounds hollow, about 45-55 minutes. If you find the top of the loaf is browning too quickly as it bakes, tent with aluminum foil. (I usually place foil on top after about 25 minutes.) Remove bread the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and cool loaf on the wire rack.
• Slice and serve. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Leftover slices taste delicious when warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.

CRUSTY CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Do ahead
• To make the starter, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for about 30 seconds. If mixing by hand, stir for about 2 minutes, until well blended. The starter should feel doughlike and tacky or slightly sticky; if not, stir in additional flour or water as needed.
• Transfer the starter to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 30 seconds. Place the starter in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl loosely, and leave at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, until the starter increases to about 1 1/2 times its original size. If you plan to use the starter the same day, allow 1 more hour of fermentation so that it nearly doubles in size. Otherwise, put the starter in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To make the dough, chop the starter into 10 to 12 pieces and put them in a mixing bowl. Separately, combine the water and milk, then add the yeast and honey and whisk until dissolved. Pour the mixture over the starter and stir to soften the starter.
• Add the flour and salt. If using a mixer, use the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir with a large spoon for about 4 minutes. The dough should be soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
• Mix with the dough hook on medium-low speed, or continue to mix by hand, for another 3 minutes, adding flour or liquid as needed to maintain a soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky dough. Add the onions and mix on the lowest speed or continue mixing by hand for another minute, until the onions are evenly distributed.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 or 2 minutes to make any final adjustments, then form the dough into a ball.
• Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.) The dough should double in size in the refrigerator. If you want to bake the bread the same day you mix the dough, don't refrigerate the final dough; just let it rest at room temperature for about 60 to 90 minutes, until it doubles in size. Then proceed to shaping and baking, as described below.
• On baking day
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces, each weighing about 2 pounds (907 g). Dust each piece with flour, then use your hands to gently press them into rectangles 8 inches wide and 12 inches deep. Spread half of the cheese over the surface of one rectangle and roll the dough up like a rug, from the bottom to the top, to form a log. If any cheese falls out, tuck it back in or save it for the second loaf. Seal the seam with your fingertips. Shape the log into a bâtard (see page 21) or extend it into a baguette-style loaf (see page 22) by gently rocking the loaf back and forth. Place the loaves on parchment-lined sheet pans, mist with spray oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the loaves begin to noticeably swell in size.
• About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and prepare it for hearth baking (see page 30). About 15 minutes before baking, uncover the loaves and score them with a sharp serrated knife or razor blade, making 2 or 3 diagonal cuts about 1/2 inch deep.
• Transfer the dough to the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan, and lower the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C).
• Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, until the loaves are a deep golden brown and have an internal temperature above 195°F (91°C) in the center.
• Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack for about 1 hour before slicing or serving.
• Variation
• If you would like to avoid the air pockets caused by the melting cheese, you can knead cubed cheese into the dough after the overnight rise, just before shaping, rather than rolling it up in the dough. This will create little cheese bursts throughout the loaf instead of a spiral.

CRUSTY CHEESE AND HERB PULL-APART BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of warm water in a small jug or bowl.
• Leave in a warm place until frothy (about ten minutes).
• Put the flour, salt, milk powder and oil in a large bowl or bench mixer.
• Stir to combine and then add the yeast mixture and 1 cup of warm water.
• Mix to a soft dough and then knead for about ten minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap.
• Leave the dough in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
• Punch the dough down and knead for 1 minute.
• Divide in half and out of each half make 10 six cm (2 1/2 inch) flat discs.
• Mix the herbs with the cheese and place approximately 3 teaspoons of the mixture onto ten of the discs.
• Press the remaining 10 discs on top of the cheesey ones.
• Grease a loaf tin (21 x 10. 5 x 6. 5 cm) and stand the discs upright in the prepared tin.
• You will have to squeeze them together to fit them all inches.
• Cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C - 400°F.
• Glaze the loaf with a little milk and bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown and crusty and cooked through.

CRUSTY CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water.
• Let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir gently to moisten.
• With mixer, blend softened yeast with cottage cheese, sugar, salt and egg.
• Add flour in 1/2 cup portions to form stiff dough.
• Beat well by hand after each addition.
• Cover dough and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).
• Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole.
• Stir down dough and transfer to buttered casserole.
• Let rise another 30 to 40 minutes until almost double.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown.
• Brush crust with butter and serve.
• Variations: Add 1 tablespoon grated onion and 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds before adding flour.
• Mix in 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese when stirring down dough.