Cheesy Bread Bakers & the Gruyere-Stuffed Crusty Bread
You know what's irresistible?
Homemade bread fresh from the oven, and stuffed with ooey-gooey melted cheese.
How do I know this? Because the Cheesy Bread Bakers -- Helen, Ivonne, Kelly, Lisa, Mary, Sara, Stephanie and me -- gave the French Pastry School’s Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves recipe (found by Mary on the King Arthur Flour blog) a go last weekend. (Go look and see how beautifully their loaves turned out!)
We were not disappointed. This is a bread you have to tear into as soon as it comes out of the oven because it looks and smells so wondrous. First-degree cheese burns are but a small obstacle to overcome in the pursuit of deliciousness. Shane, Jenny and I ate our way through two "mini" loves (which were, by no means, actually mini) in under 10 minutes. I sent one loaf home with Jen and the final loaf will be devoured tonight at dinner.
I am so glad I got to bake in tandem (via skype) with these talented bakers; not only did I get to bake a fantastic bread and pick up some baking tips, I got to know these lovely, caring, kind and talented women a bit better. Yay food bloggers and yay cheesy bread!
Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves (click here for step-by-step photos)
Starter
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water
Dough
all of the starter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) to 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) lukewarm water*
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
*Use the greater amount of water in winter, when conditions are dry; and the lesser amount in summer, when the weather is humid.
Filling
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, or the grated/shredded cheese of your choice
To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined. (Note: it may look a rather dry. -- LR) Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature.
To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a ¾"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it’s puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
Homemade bread fresh from the oven, and stuffed with ooey-gooey melted cheese.
How do I know this? Because the Cheesy Bread Bakers -- Helen, Ivonne, Kelly, Lisa, Mary, Sara, Stephanie and me -- gave the French Pastry School’s Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves recipe (found by Mary on the King Arthur Flour blog) a go last weekend. (Go look and see how beautifully their loaves turned out!)
We were not disappointed. This is a bread you have to tear into as soon as it comes out of the oven because it looks and smells so wondrous. First-degree cheese burns are but a small obstacle to overcome in the pursuit of deliciousness. Shane, Jenny and I ate our way through two "mini" loves (which were, by no means, actually mini) in under 10 minutes. I sent one loaf home with Jen and the final loaf will be devoured tonight at dinner.
I am so glad I got to bake in tandem (via skype) with these talented bakers; not only did I get to bake a fantastic bread and pick up some baking tips, I got to know these lovely, caring, kind and talented women a bit better. Yay food bloggers and yay cheesy bread!
Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves (click here for step-by-step photos)
Starter
1 1/4 cups (5 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water
Dough
all of the starter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) to 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) lukewarm water*
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
*Use the greater amount of water in winter, when conditions are dry; and the lesser amount in summer, when the weather is humid.
Filling
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, or the grated/shredded cheese of your choice
To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined. (Note: it may look a rather dry. -- LR) Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature.
To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it’s nearly doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a ¾"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it’s puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
Yield: four mini-loaves or two standard-size loaves.
6 comments:
Laura Rebecca, looks SO good - wish I was in your kitchen right now. Glad you're enjoying this recipe - I sure have. Multiple times. Just for testing, don't you know... :) Thanks for the links - PJ Hamel, King Arthur Flour
Cheese and yeast, sort of make push overs of all of us! Looks like great bread and just a lot of fun.
Yup, I know the roof of my mouth was screaming at me for ripping into a straight from the oven loaf but then the taste buds told it to "shut up!".
It was great baking with you and can't wait to do it again!
I could have eaten them all at once the smell was so good! I am really glad I got to do this with you all because it really helpd keep my spirits up and going! Thank you for the laughs and chat!
mmmm, look at that melty cheese!
I came across your blog and this cheese bread recipe. They looked tooooo delish....I couldn't resist (although I'm not much of a baker) I made them this morning. Mine didn't turn out brown (they were white), I think it was because of the bread flour I used. Thanks for posting this recipe and thanks to the Cheesy Bread Bakers!
Post a Comment