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Cheddar and Chilies Bread
Difficulty Level Easy
This bread is delicious, but it's really a special occasion bread rather than something you would make for your family any day. It's a bit expensive to make because of the cheese, and is also very rich for the same reason. It's worth it to use a high quality cheddar.If you were having a buffet it would make a terrific addition, or it would be great as a potluck contribution. It would make a delicious counterpoint to the Bean and Barley Salad I made last week.
I dumped the whole thing into my standing mixer, so I didn't have any trouble incorporating the cheese and chilies into the dough, but it might be a bit harder to do it by hand. I found the baking temperature of 400F a bit high, as did my smoke detector. I turned it down to 375°F and baked it a bit longer, although the bottom of the centre of the loaf was not quite done. The top got a beautiful brown, so after about 30 minutes I just lay a piece of aluminum foil over top to keep it from burning.
INGREDIENTS
| 3 1/2 cups | unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed |
| 1 tablespoon | granulated sugar |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | table salt |
| 1 teaspoon | instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast |
| 2 tablespoons | corn oil, canola oil, or other flavorless vegetable oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan |
| 1 2/3 cups | ice water, plus more if needed |
| 8 ounces | coarsely grated very sharp cheddar cheese, preferably white cheddar |
| 1/2 cup | very well-drained and patted dry chopped canned green chiles |
PREPARATION:
- n a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk the oil into the water. Stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more ice water to blend the ingredients; don?t over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Vigorously stir the dough, gradually sprinkling over and incorporating the cheese and chiles. Fold them in well to ensure they are evenly distributed. If necessary, stir in more flour to yield a very stiff dough. Using a well-oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center, working all the way around the bowl. Invert the dough into a well-greased 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. Evenly brush the dough top with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft free place for about another hour.
- Preheat to 425°F. Reduce the heat to 400°F. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is nicely browned; cover the top with foil as needed. Continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes longer, or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few particles clinging to the bottom (or until the center registers 204° to 206°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 minutes more to be sure the center is done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out the loaf onto the rack; cool thoroughly before eating.
Adapted from The Kitchn.