Savory Cheddar Cheese Bread
The bite of cheese in a loaf of plain white bread is always welcome. This bread is very close-grained, and is wonderful for toast or sandwiches — especially grilled cheese! The addition of a half teaspoon of tabasco sauce gives the bread just a hint of heat.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 16 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup (227g) milk, lukewarm*
- 3 cups (360g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) table salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup (113g) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese, firmly packed; we prefer Cabot extra-sharp
- 1/4 cup (28g) [product-link]Better Cheddar Cheese Powder[/product-link]**
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, optional
Instructions
- 1
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
- 2
To make using a bread machine: Put all of the ingredients into the bucket of your bread machine in the order designated. Program the machine for basic bread, light crust setting. Press Start.
- 3
Check the dough after about 10 minutes of kneading; it should have formed a cohesive ball, and be slightly sticky. Adjust its consistency with additional milk or flour, if necessary.
- 4
Allow the machine to complete its cycle. Remove the bread from the machine, and cool it on a rack.
- 5
To make by hand: In a large bowl, combine all the dough ingredients. Mix until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass, and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and bouncy, about 7 minutes.
- 6
Allow the dough to rise, covered, in a slightly warm place (about 70°F is ideal) until it becomes puffy and nearly doubles in size (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours).
- 7
After its first rise, shape the dough and place it in an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" pan. Cover it and let it rise until it has crested the edge of the pan by about 1" in the very center.
- 8
Near the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- 9
Bake the bread for about 35 to 40 minutes, until it's golden brown on top and a digital thermometer inserted into the center reaches at least 190°F.
- 10
Remove from the oven and turn out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.
- 11
Storage information: Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.