Cheesy Bread Loaf

This loaf is a replacement for a ham and cheese pull-apart from a local bakery my kids love. I’ve been making this loaf as an accompaniment to “slop” recipes like chili and soups. I’ve made variations of this style of stuffed bread over the years but was never thrilled with the results until I stumbled across a genius fold technique wherein the dough is stuffed, rolled, then cut in half and braided. This technique allows the cheese to spread and ooze throughout the loaf instead of being confined to a tight swirl inside the loaf.

Recipe summary

• 500g white bread flour
• 300g water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• cheddar cheese (however much you want)
• 3 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar

Process - the ferment

Mix water and sugar until dissolved. Add yeast and wait until proofed. And salt and stir until mixed. Add half the flour and beat until smooth and a thick mud is formed. Add olive oil and butter and mix until integrated. Add rest of the flour and knead lightly until dough ball is formed. Let dough autolyze for 20 minutes to make it easier to knead. Knead dough. Put in a large bowl, cover, and let rest for 2 hours.

Process - the shape

Knock out gas. Roll out into an oblong squal/oval shape. Grate cheddar cheese and evenly distribute onto rolled loaf. Starting from either the top or bottom, roll the dough into a tube shape. Cut the dough lengthwise down the center. Braid the two halves together. I like doing two braids ensuring the cheesy parts are facing up. Place in loaf pan. I do not let this go through a secondary rise.

Process - the baking

Place into the oven at 350F, let bake for 50 minutes.

Process the cooling

Take loaf out of oven, onto a cooling rack, and forget about it for a couple of hours.