Cheddar Bread

This weekend was full of tough choices. Which cupcake should I have: strawberry cheesecake or bumpy cake? Which kind of coffee should I buy? Should I try to curl my hair? Hefeweizen or Custom Blonde? Should I have cheese on my bread or in my bread?

Ok. I tried both cupcakes. I got some local coffee roasted and stuff in a place Jake vacationed once. I tried to curl my hair. I felt fancy like Lauren Conrad. I went with a Hefeweizen. It tasted like juice and ice cream at the same time. And, duh, I made my bread with cheese in it.

This bread is light and cheesy and tasty. What else is there? It’s so good that Elliot couldn’t contain himself stole a piece off the table when I was in the other room. Who does he think he is?

Cheddar Bread
Recipe adapted from Cafe Muse as printed in Hour Detroit magazine July 2007

Ingredients:

• 1 package active dry yeast
• a pinch of sugar
• 2 cups warm milk
• 1 T honey
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 1/2 – 5 cups bread flour
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Add pinch of sugar. Allow to sit a few minutes for the yeast to get working. Add honey, oil and salt. Stir until mixed.
2. In a separate bowl mix together 4 1/2 cups of flour and cheese. Add flour and cheese mixture to milk mixture. Start combining with a rubber spatula. Stir as much as you can. (If too sticky add remaining flour.) Pour onto a floured surface and knead until soft but not sticky. Knead until pliable.
3. Spray a medium bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and flip to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until it doubles in size (about an hour and a half). Punch down and divide between two greased bread pans. Cover and return to a warm place until double in size.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Bread is done when the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Keepin’ it real, chedda’ bread style.