Cheese Bread

Name: Cheese Bread
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: makes 2 loaves
Ingredients: 1 (17-gram) packet active dry yeast; 1 tbsp. sugar; 1 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. vegetable oil; 3 oz. semihard goats' milk cheese, (such as Achadinha Cheese Company Capricious), finely grated (about ¾cup); 5 1 ⁄ 2 oz. domestic or imported gruyere, coarsely grated (about 1 ½ cups); 5 1 ⁄ 2 cups flour; 1 tbsp. salt; 4 tbsp. butter, at room temperature, cubed; 1 tsp. Tabasco; 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Serves
makes 2 loaves

CHRISTOPHER HIRSHEIMER

This recipe is our version of one from legendary chef James Beard's Beard on Bread (Knopf, 2002).

Ingredients

1 (17-gram) packet active dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. vegetable oil
3 oz. semihard goats' milk cheese, (such as Achadinha Cheese Company Capricious), finely grated (about ¾cup)
5 ¹⁄₂ oz. domestic or imported gruyere, coarsely grated (about 1 ½ cups)
5 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
1 tbsp. salt
4 tbsp. butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 egg white, lightly beaten

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Instructions

Step 1

Disolve yeast and sugar in 1⁄4 cup warm water; set aside until foamy. Meanwhile, grease two 6-cup loaf pans and a large bowl with oil; set aside. Mix 2 tbsp. of the goat cheese and 1⁄4 cup of the gruyere in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Combine 5 cups of the flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture, 1½ cups warm water, butter, and Tabasco. Turn dough out onto a work surface dusted with remaining flour and knead until almost smooth, 15-20 minutes. Transfer dough to greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to let dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.

Step 3

Knead remaining cheeses into dough on a lightly floured surface. Halve dough, shape into balls, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out balls with a rolling pin into 6" × 11" rectangles and let rest for 3 minutes. Starting with a short end of each rectangle, roll up each into a tight cylinder. Transfer doughs, seam side down, to prepared pans and flatten slightly. Cover pans with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to let doughs rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours. Preheat oven to 375°.

Step 4

Bake loaves for 20 minutes. Brush tops with egg white and sprinkle with reserved cheeses. Continue baking until loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom, 25-30 minutes. Tip loaves out of pans and return them to oven for 5-7 minutes to firm crusts. Let loaves cool on a wire rack before serving.